A nuclear bomb with multimegatons of power has just exploded in the distant backdrop. This is represented by a bright glow slowly storming across the horizon. A lone farmer stands in the midst of his maize field, frozen in awe, his back towards the camera. The shot is framed so that the farmer is on the right, slightly off-center, and the endless maize field spreads to the left, exhibiting depth and space.
The focus shifts between the farmer, the maize stretching out in the foreground, and the explosion blooming in the background, defusing a dire sense that something monumental is taking place.
The camera angle is at a low level, near the ground, unbelievably amplifying the magnitude of the explosion, as well as pushing the sense of isolation of the farmer. The lighting is predominantly natural, dramatically transformed by the explosion’s rising glow, casting an eerie unearthly hue onto the scene, stark against the usual colors of the maize field at sunset.
The shot moves gently from this perspective, slowly panning towards an opening in the ground, a utilidor, revealing itself as the farmer’s potential sanctuary. As the farmer begins to run towards it, the shot is increasingly unbalanced underlining the uncertainty and fear.