First Strike

Two isolated Canadian soldiers come to grip with a difficult order: launch a nuclear strike against the former USSR, some 25 years after the end of the Cold War.

A heavily dramatized Civil Defense film that demonstrates how a public fallout shelter is supposed to function after a nuclear attack. This scenario takes place in a fictional any town called "Middlebury". The film describes the situation in a public shelter in Middlebury following an attack on the United States.

Portrays the challenges of creating a film about nuclear disaster amid public apathy. It captures behind-the-scenes moments as the crew discusses the gravity of nuclear threats, the importance of preparation, and the emotional impact of a nuclear attack. The narrative emphasizes the need for individuals to take responsibility for their safety and community in the event of an attack, blending factual information with a call to action.

Training film for shelter managers. Food, water, sanitation, medical, and radiation detection systems are explained.

This Cold War film "Information Within Public Shelters" (1953) takes place in a fallout shelter, showing how a well-trained staff that provides information to shelter occupants, can keep them busy and calm during nuclear armageddon. This film was produced as the U.S. Government began to shift from promoting privately-owned "family" fallout shelters to the concept of large, public shelters.

Edward Peden purchased a former US military launch site in the 1980s, and has been living in it ever since. Meanwhile, Larry Hall is building million-dollar condominiums inside of an underground missile silo.

With the help of government-issued pamphlets, an elderly British couple build a shelter and prepare for an impending nuclear attack, unaware that times and the nature of war have changed from their romantic memories of World War II.

The smallest of sparks can lead to the largest of explosions. Such is the case of the Atomic Bomb and the minds who have conceived of the deadliest force the world has ever known. This new documentary Atomic: The History of the A-Bomb follows this weapon of mass destruction from inception to detonation.

An instructional film released by the UK Warning and Monitoring Organization which depicts its operations in the lead-up to and aftermath of a hypothetical nuclear attack on the United Kingdom.

a soldier returns from a war in Europe, only to grow more bitter as he realises a more sinister truth.

When Peter Watkins’ banned nuclear war masterpiece "The War Game" reached Toronto in 1967, it found an unlikely home at Cinecity, a new cinema determined to challenge audiences. Drawing on archival research and eyewitness accounts, this documentary explores the film’s enduring impact and the role Cinecity played in shaping Canadian film culture.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Soviet Navy officer Vasily Arkhipov refused to launch a nuclear strike and saved the world from nuclear war and total destruction.

A disturbing collection of 1940s and 1950s United States government-issued propaganda films designed to reassure Americans that the atomic bomb was not a threat to their safety.

A hypothetical Chinese invasion of South Vietnam triggers a new world war between East and West. In Rochester, Kent, the anticipation of a nuclear attack leads to mass evacuations. When a stray missile explodes, the ensuing firestorm blinds all those who see it. It's not long before the fabric of society is ripped apart from radiation poisoning, a lack of infrastructure and rioting for food and other necessities.

Explores a ticking-clock scenario about what would happen in the event of a nuclear war, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who built the weapons and have been privy to the response plans and have been responsible for those decisions should they need to be made.

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Since 1950, there have been 32 nuclear weapon accidents, known as "Broken Arrows." A Broken Arrow is defined as an unexpected event involving nuclear weapons that result in the accidental launching, firing, detonating, theft or loss of the weapon. To date, six nuclear weapons have been lost and never recovered.Now, recently declassified documents reveal the history and secrecy surrounding the events known as "Broken Arrows". There have been 32 nuclear weapon accidents since 1950. Six of these nuclear weapons have been lost and never recovered. What does this say about our defense system? What does this mean to our threatened environment? What do we do to rectify these monumental "mistakes"? Using spectacular special effects, newly uncovered and recently declassified footage, filmmaker Peter Kuran explores the accidents, incidents and exercises in the secret world of nuclear weapons.

This programme recalls the events that led up to one of the most dangerous moments in the entire history of the Cold War: a NATO command post exercise, code named Able Archer 83, which caused the USSR to believe that NATO was planning a genuine nuclear attack.

In the midst of an international crisis, President Bennett has less than 10 minutes to authorize a nuclear strike. But with incomplete intelligence and opposing views from his advisors, he must make a choice that will shape the world forever.

Follow the 4315th Training Squadron of the Strategic Air Command at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where officers are trained to man the Launch Control Centers for the Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. Sequences include discussion of the moral and military issues of nuclear war; the arming, targeting and launching of the missile; codes; communications; protection against terrorist attack; emergency procedures; staff meetings and tutorial sessions.