Radiation exposure was at the forefront of cinematographer Simon Niblett’s mind as he spent time filming Otto Bell’s “The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima.” Bell, who was trying for a baby at the time, was also concerned – they carried radiation monitors.

Bell’s documentary Oscar contender, “The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima,” follows a group of local hunters who have been enlisted to dispose of radiated wild boars that now roam the abandoned streets and buildings of Fukushima, Japan after a 2011 earthquake caused a nuclear meltdown.

Below, Bell and Niblett spoke with Variety about filming and how drone technology helped them find and film the wild boars.

Tell me about your pre-production planning and any discussions you two had going into this shoot. What mood, styles and themes did you discuss capturing?
Bell: I kept Simon in the dark a bit in the run-up to the shoot. That’s not best practice, and I certainly had a lot of pent up ideas, but just didn’t want to share any pre-conceived notions about potential themes until I’d seen the place with my own eyes.