At Ground Zero is a compelling nihilist love story, full of black humour, uncompromising realism and overwhelming visual power. The film follows several characters who wouldnormally be shunned by society. We spend some time with an estranged couple on their flight through America and the people they encounter and in the end we see their relationship fall apart.Tom and Aysha (played by Rutger Hauer’s daughter) set off after Tom robs an acquaintance of his money, a revolver with blanks and quite a lot of dope. They hitch a ride with the enigmatic Bubba (played by Schlattman himself). After leaving Bubba in the desert in a pretty bizarre way, they meet Carman, a failed suicide case. Carman also drops out at a certain point because everything relating to Tom and Aysha goes a little too fast for him. In the end the couple break up on the rocks of their far-reaching hedonism.Ground Zero is the name of a settlement near Trinity in New Mexico, but it is also characteristic of the times which Tom and Aysha are going through. The film was made fast and for little money; with little more than a little production money, credit cards, gasoline and the desire of all those involved to complete the film. The actors contributed a lot to the screenplay with their improvisation.
