igg.me/at/zachtolchinsky
Die Atombombe is German for “The Nuke.” When researching ideas for how governmental authority is mishandled, I stumbled upon the terrifying fact that there are SEVERAL Nuclear bombs MISSING around the world. Like… REALLY MISSING. The U.S. Government has misplaced at least three in the last 50 years, and those are the three we know of!
That idea took my imagination hostage, until I finally wrote the script for the film I’m presenting today. This cinematic concept wasn’t just about the horrifying reality that nukes are missing, but is also an exploration on the themes of truth and authority.
Who has the authority in a situation where a nuclear bomb is discovered? How can you trust a person you’ve only just met with making the best moral decision? My film asks the question: do you trust the authority that got you in this situation to begin with, or do you trust your gut? While writing this film, I discovered the perfect duo of characters to get swept up in this chaotic mess: a Park Ranger in Arizona, and a German Bomb Retrieval Expert. Why German? You’ll have to wait and see!
This film is inspired by my obsession with Japanese cinema and long character driven series. From The Human Condition to Zatoichi, to Seven Samurai and Station Eleven. There’s an aphorism that I think sums up my film, and the ones I just mentioned, pretty well: “There’s no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole.” Can characters stay true to their specific beliefs when confronted with a high-stakes situation that forces them to question everything they believe to be true?