The sub-text is awesome. The farmer's wife and the shrine's voice were a bit hard to understand, which necessitated another view. The intro scene of destruction, looked rushed and non-specific, and the colors too similar (or was that intentional?)
The scenes weren't awkward, it's all about using a setting as exposition (story-telling), which you did to dern good effect. This is for the first round, right? I'd be pissed if this didn't make it. I'm proud of you man.