When The Wind Blew

Recently I revisited this animated film I had seen in my childhood. My cloudy memory could only recall two sequences. These images plagued my thoughts whenever I lay in bed at night, for a considerable time after having seen the film. Powerful images, that depicted the heat of a nuclear blast flowing across the idyllic English countryside. These images have stayed with me for over 15 years. For a long period this film was my only understanding of how horrific a nuclear attack could or would be.

The story follows an elderly couple that live in the countryside. Their limited understanding of the dangers brought about post-nuclear attack had been issued to them by the Protect and Survive handbook. The couple are naïve and vulnerable… though they try to prepare, their efforts are frustrating as well as futile.

The film was inspired by Raymond Briggs’ graphic novel of the same title and directed by Jimmy Murakami.

After seeing this film again, I became intrigued by the human instinct for survival. This animated classic has heavily influenced this project.