Hi everyone!
Honestly, I hardly know where the time has gone but here we are with the end of August fast approaching. Life really does seem to be speeding up for me - I guess that's what happens when you hit the ripe old age of 40 eh..! Summer or no summer though, events never stop so let's jump right in with what's new.
US nukes in trouble
Firstly, in case you missed it, it's been a bad few weeks for the nuclear industry in America as it was announced that two of only four new reactors under construction there are being cancelled - the headlines below say it all really. This all stems back to the bankruptcy of Westinghouse - now owned by Japanese giant Toshiba - and is an all-too familiar story of reactors costing far, far more once construction actually starts than the builders originally forecast. A shot across the bows for Hinkley C one wonders?
New filmmaking horizons
Long-term followers of my journey to make The Atom: A Love Affair will know that as well as toiling to commit the turbulent history of nuclear power to the screen, I also spend a good chunk of my time running around after a very energetic 3 year old.
Filmmaking is a hard enough job when you're young, free & single, but it's multiple times more challenging when you have a young child to look after - which is why I jumped at the chance to apply for an exciting new development scheme for writers, producers & directors with caring commitments, the CLOSR scheme from Raising Films (I actually wrote a blog piece for them last year about my experience of having a baby whilst making the film which you can read here if you're interested).
I was delighted to be selected as one of 36 participants from across England taking part in the scheme and it was just the boost I needed to get stuck in to some very early development work on a brand new documentary project which I hope may eventually lead to some exciting collaborations. I don't want to say too much about it at this stage but if it gets off the ground it will be a real step forward for me creatively - and, I hope, something that others will feel similarly stimulated and provoked by. So watch this space...
Documentary film pick: Citizen Jane: Battle for the City
My recommendation this month is a fascinating and timely film that digs down into an important piece of social history that in turn shines a light on current concerns (no surprise perhaps that this is my kind of film as it's very much the approach I'm taking with nuclear issues past & present).
The issues at stake here are urban planning and housing - and in particular where and how to house the poorer inhabitants of a city. Jane Jacobs was a journalist and citizen activist who battled to stop New York's "master builder" Robert Moses from riding roughshod across the city in the 1960s. As I watched it I couldn't help thinking about Grenfell Tower and the current housing crisis in London, which I know is mirrored in many other cities around the world. If you're in the UK, the film is currently available on BBC iPlayer or you can watch it on iTunes.
A book about nuclear power
Finally, as promised last newsletter, we are running another giveaway :-) Starting this weekend, we'll be giving away 3 books across 3 weeks, all by contributors to The Atom: A Love Affair. I'll email with all the details as soon as the giveaway goes live so keep an eye out for that on Saturday.
That's it. Thanks for all your support and I'll be in touch with more updates and recommendations for you next month.
Best wishes as always,
Vicki x
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