A Short Vision (1956) | BFI National Archive

This short animated film is Peter and Joan Foldes' second and last film together. Its bleak subject – the end of the world caused by a nuclear apocalypse – reflects a widespread preoccupation in 1950s Britain which would soon lead to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). The film is composed mostly of still drawings, creating a terrifying effect amplified by a sombre commentary spoken in the style of the Bible. The film had a very strong impact on audiences, in particular across the Atlantic, where it was shown on primetime television to millions of American viewers and reportedly produced one of the biggest reactions since Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" broadcast in 1938.