Our friends at the 10:10 climate change campaign have given us the scoop on this highly explosive short film, written by Britain's top comedy screenwriter Richard Curtis, ahead of its general release.

It's most definitely striking and if you haven't watched it yet – taking into account the warning that it contains scenes some people may find disturbing – do so now, before I give too much away.

This film contains scenes that some viewers may find distressing. Not suitable for children



2pm update: Please note that 10:10 took down the original video and the version above is a copy uploaded elsewhere on YouTube.



Had a look? Well, I'm certain you'll agree that detonating school kids, footballers and movie stars into gory pulp for ignoring their carbon footprints is attention-grabbing. It's also got a decent sprinkling of stardust – Peter Crouch, Gillian Anderson, Radiohead and others.

But it's pretty edgy, given 10:10's aim of asking people, businesses and organisations to take positive action against global warming by cutting their greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in a year, and thereby pressuring governments to act.

"Doing nothing about climate change is still a fairly common affliction, even in this day and age. What to do with those people, who are together threatening everybody's existence on this planet? Clearly we don't really think they should be blown up, that's just a joke for the mini-movie, but maybe a little amputating would be a good place to start?" jokes 10:10 founder and Age of Stupid film maker Franny Armstrong.

But why take such a risk of upsetting or alienating people, I ask her: "Because we have got about four years to stabilise global emissions and we are not anywhere near doing that. All our lives are at threat and if that's not worth jumping up and down about, I don't know what is."

"We 'killed' five people to make No Pressure – a mere blip compared to the 300,000 real people who now die each year from climate change," she adds.

Jamie Glover, the child-actor who plays the part of Philip and gets blown up, has similarly few qualms: "I was very happy to get blown up to save the world." The public reaction to the film will be fascinating – please add yours below.

Curtis, writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Blackadder and an early 10:10 supporter, acknowledges that the 10:10 film is very direct. "The 10:10 team are a fearless, energetic bunch, completely dedicated to getting the public fired up about climate change. They also turn out to be surprisingly good at blowing stuff up," he said.

The film, directed by top advertising director Dougal Wilson, known for the Always A Woman John Lewis ad, will be shown in cinemas and on television. Wilson met 10:10 activists on a cross-continent bike ride to the Copenhagen climate change summit last December.

The 10:10 campaign was launched in the UK in September 2009 and has already spread to 41 countries. In Britain, 91,000 people, 3,500 businesses and 4,000 councils, school and other organisations have signed up so far.

The Lib-Con coalition has also committed to cut the government's carbon emissions by 10% in a year, to help combat global warming. On October 10 – 10.10.10 – the campaign will hold a Global Day of Doing, involving 180 nations and events such as sumo wrestlers cycling to training in Tokyo, to 10,000 schoolchildren planting trees across Russia.

The film is released tomorrow.

Behind the scenes of No Pressure



6pm update: 10:10 has released the following statement.