Watching from the modern vantage point, The Atomic Cafe is undeniably very funny at times, but behind the comedy lies a dark purpose and frequent evidence of a shocking naiveté. In the aftermath of their use of nuclear weapons on the civilian population of Japan, the United States government released a flood of propaganda materials designed to reassure the public that by taking very simple steps, such as ‘duck and cover’, the greatest dangers of a nuclear attack could be minimised. This flagrant abuse of public trust is catalogued here through a masterful compilation of safety films of the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s, presented without commentary, that depicts how the bomb became normalised in American life and popular culture.

Screening as part of the Fallout season.

Notes by Kevin Coyne.