Paul and Ellen are a young couple living on a farm in the Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The Great Depression has hit their farm hard and they are struggling to make ends meet. One day, Paul decides to go into town to try and sell some of their wheat. However, when he arrives in town, he finds that the wheat market has collapsed and he is unable to sell anything.Paul and Ellen are forced to face the reality that their farm is failing. They decide to abandon their farm and head west in search of a new life. However, the journey is tough and they soon find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere. With their supplies running low, they are forced to ration their food and water.One day, Paul finds an abandoned lamp in the desert. He decides to light it, in hopes that it will attract help. However, the only thing that the lamp attracts is a swarm of locusts. The locusts destroy their crops and their water supply, leaving Paul and Ellen to face certain death.