Why we still need to talk about the nuclear age
Unravelling the atomic threads one movie at a time...
Hi friends,
This time last week I was enjoying the sunshine and sumptious surroundings of the Charterhouse Nuclear History Conference.
It was a remarkable gathering of people, sharing stories and ideas about so many different facets of our atomic world - from test veterans to weapons inspectors, architecture to archives, secret facilities, forgotten campaigners and international ideas that radically challenge Western orthodoxies, be it the public celebrations of the Chinese Communist Party or the artistic exploration of 'Sickness Country' by the traditional owners of the Kakadu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory, with its many uranium mining sites.
And it confirmed for me exactly why I decided to dedicate the first season of my brand new online movie club, The Film Thread, to atomic movies.
I know many of you reading have been on this journey with me for a long time, going right back to the years when I was researching and making my own nuclear history film. It's a little hard for me to believe, but it's coming up on two decades now since I first decided to look into the story of nuclear power.
And the longer I've spent thinking and talking about it, the more I've come to realise just how deep the atomic rabbit hole really is.
If you're new to my world, you might be sensing it too — especially now, with global fears around Iran's nuclear capabilities and Putin’s ongoing threats in Ukraine on one side, and, on the other, a renewed push from politicians and big corporations to build more nuclear reactors, particularly those betting on an AI-powered future.
And that's not to mention all the aspects that don't hit the headlines in the same way - what's going on beyond the borders of Europe and the United States, or less visible parts of the fuel cycle, from uranium mining at one end, to long term waste storage at the other. And of course, major events like Hiroshima, Chernobyl and Fukushima continue to cast a long and ever-present shadow.
In fact, once you start pulling on the threads of atomic history, you realise they’re everywhere. In our politics. Our pop culture. Our landscapes. Our hopes. Our fears.
And, of course, in our films.
From the moment knowledge of the atom first hit the public consciousness back in the middle of the 20th century, filmmakers have been grappling with what it means. And it's my true belief that these films offer us a uniquely rich and revealing lens on the nuclear age, helping us to understand not just where we are right now, but how we got here and where we might be headed.
If you feel like that too, then do think about joining us for our inaugural season together in The Film Thread. I've put so much time and thought into curating a programme that will take us on a slow, cinematic journey across the atomic age. And I'll be revealing the very first film we’re gonna watch next week.
If you're fed up of mindlessly scrolling, then impulsively clicking, distractedly watching and sometimes forgetting what you've just seen almost as soon as the credits have rolled, this is your chance to experience films differently.
The Film Thread is my attempt to reclaim a slower, richer way of watching. A space to pause, reflect and connect - with the ideas in the films, with each other, and with the moment we’re living through.
A reminder on how it works:
🍿Each month, we’ll focus on one feature-length film - from different genres, different countries and different decades
🎬 Alongside it, I’ll suggest an optional short film or two— sometimes to contrast, sometimes to be in dialogue with the feature, or even with the previous month’s selection.
📩 You’ll get a monthly primer post with ideas, context and threads to tug on (the first one will be landing in your inbox the week starting Mon 21st July)
💬 There’ll be a chat thread open to ask questions, make comments and start the conversation
💻And then, we’ll gather online for a live Zoom chat on Sun 3rd August to explore together what came up in our viewing.
If you’ve ever watched Dr. Strangelove, Silkwood or Threads and thought “we need to talk about this” I think you’ll really enjoy this. And you definitely don’t need to be a film buff or a nuclear historian - just curious.
Right now, you can still sign up at half the usual price with the earlybird offer -available till the end of July.
Thanks SO much for being here — whether you’ve followed my work for years or just joined recently. The atomic age isn’t over. If anything, it’s entering a new phase. So there's gonna be plenty to talk about...
Hopefully see you inside the club!
Vicki x
PS: Do you have a favourite atomic film? If so, hit reply or leave a comment - the final programme still isn't entirely set in stone so if there's something you think I should definitely include I'd love to hear about it.
Watch my film on Netflix & Disney+ (UK/Europe only) or Vimeo-on-demand - or see trailer, reviews & bonus content HERE
This is such a thoughtful and powerful way to explore the nuclear age through film.
Godzilla might have been the first post-Hiroshima/Nagasaki nuclear movie. Wasn’t it filmed shortly after the Fukuryu Maru (“Happy Dragon”) fishing boat getting irradiated from the nuclear tests in the Pacific?