With the threat of nuclear conflict between North Korea and America comes the realization that the blast effects of a nuclear strike would be outweighed by the potentially irreparable damage to the Earth’s atmosphere. In 1783 the Laki volcanic eruption, and the resulting haze that covered vast swathes of the northern hemisphere, caused widespread crop failures and consequent starvation across Europe, parts of America, North Africa, and India. Raban’s new film connects this ecological theme with the current political crisis in Europe and America