Vicki Lesley is...Documental

About Vicki Lesley is...Documental

A documentary filmmaker in conversation - on the page or on the screen - uncovering the stories, perspectives & insights of people doing fascinating work in their different corners of culture, science & society. Mostly linked to areas I'm exploring in my own creative endeavours. vickilesley.substack.com (https://vickilesley.substack.com/s/conversations?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Vicki Lesley

Category

society & culture · tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Jan 2025

Latest episode

16 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

13 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Oct 2026

   The Covid Talks: Eleanor Anstruther & Vicki Lesley

   Thanks to everyone who tuned in live for this wonderful chat with Eleanor. We could definitely have gone on for much longer but still managed to cover a lot of ground, including: * Having a “COVID baby”: my daughter was born two weeks before lockdown, and what that meant for newborn life, community and early development * Releasing my debut documentary, The Atom: A Love Affair, as a digital premiere from my home office * The good things about 2020 that we lost: online culture, accessible festivals, cleaner air and poverty relief * Why we’ve stopped talking about the pandemic * My son’s anxiety during lockdown and our long road to an autism diagnosis * Catching COVID just before “Freedom Day” and why it didn’t feel like the end* We did touch briefly on the NHS too but there’s of course so much more to say on that front and I know Eleanor is really hoping to be able to talk to someone who was working on the frontlines as a healthcare worker during the pandemic. Or indeed anyone working in the government or politics. If that’s you or someone you know do drop her a line (you just need a Substack account so you can go live with her using the app). I strongly believe we need to keep talking about Covid and what we all went through at the height of the pandemic and since. I’m very glad Eleanor is hosting this series of conversations, that together are building up into a valuable and important resource of memories. As always, I’d love to hear any thoughts or comments if you feel called to share. with grateful thanks as always, Vicki x PS The connection was a bit ropey so I’m quite pixellated and the audio is out of sync for a lot of this but hopefully it shouldn’t be too much of an issue (maybe one more for listening to more than watching😄). *AI summary generated by Claude Watch my film on Netflix (https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81409029) & Disney+ (https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/movies/atom-the-a-love-affair/4TqtevLnIZSe) (UK/Europe only) or Vimeo-on-demand (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theatomaloveaffair) - or see trailer, reviews & bonus content HERE (http://theatomfilm.com/store) Find me on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/vickilesley.bsky.social) & at LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-lesley-79034b5/) Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   23 Apr 2026

   FALLOUT - the first Greenham Common novel | Live with Vicki Lesley & Eleanor Anstruther

   Thank you Francesca Bossert (https://substack.com/profile/133850561-francesca-bossert), Helen Poore (https://substack.com/profile/107077437-helen-poore), and many others for tuning into my live video with Eleanor Anstruther (https://substack.com/profile/92328611-eleanor-anstruther)! This was such a great conversation and I can’t recommend highly enough that you go out and snap up a copy of Eleanor’s new book forthwith. And in the meantime, here’s a feast of links to various things we talked about, starting with a very timely webinar I will be taking part in next month which it would be great to see you at. From Bombs to Data Centres: the Face of Nuclear Colonialism Free online webinar with Western Shoshone Principal Man Ian Zabarte 13th May 2026, 7-8.30pm BST Books * Fallout (https://bookshop.org/a/93729/9798999527035)- Eleanor’s brand new novel published this week in both the UK & US by Empress Editions * Righteous Anger (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Righteous-Anger-Juley-Howard/dp/1786977524) - non-fiction account of life at Greenham by Juley Howard & Faith Moulin * The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Atomic Radiation (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intelligent-Womans-Radiation-Penguin-Special/dp/B000OGNSTA) (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intelligent-Womans-Radiation-Penguin-Special/dp/B000OGNSTA)- 1964 mass-market non-fiction book outlining the scientific & political context of radiation at the height of atmospheric weapons testing * Command & Control (https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/56632/command-and-control-by-schlosser-eric/9780141037912) (https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/56632/command-and-control-by-schlosser-eric/9780141037912)- Eric Schlosser’s book on atomic weapons accidents & near misses Films * The March to Aldermaston (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmEpWi_XhVQ) - 1958 Lindsay Anderson film (featuring a cameo by Eleanor’s own mother!) * Gentle, Angry Women (https://www.folklifefilms.co.uk/gentle-angry-women) - 2025 documentary by Barbara Santi bringing together veteran Greenham campaigners with a group of young female activists campaigning today * Threads (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090163/)- 1984 British TV movie about an atomic bomb dropping on Sheffield, set to be remade by the producers of the recent Netflix series Adolescence * Barefoot Gen (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085218/?ref_=fn_t_1) - 1983 Japanese anime about the bomb at Hiroshima from the point of view of a 6 year old boy * The Atom: A Love Affair (http://theatomfilm.com) (http://theatomfilm.com)- sneaky plug for my own film, currently streaming on Netflix (https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81409029) & Disney+ (https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/movies/atom-the-a-love-affair/4TqtevLnIZSe) Plays * Nye (https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/nye/) - 2024 National Theatre play about the founder of the NHS, Nye Bevan * John Proctor is the Villain (https://royalcourttheatre.com/events/john-proctor-is-the-villain/) - currently playing at the Royal Court in London (Eleanor wrote about it here (https://substack.com/@eleanoranstruther/p-194669335)) * A Family Business: How Not To Blow Up The Planet (https://chinaplatetheatre.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/A-Family-Business-Pack-2023.pdf) - 2024 touring show written & performed by Chris Thorpe Other interviews * Eleanor talking to the BBC about (https://alisakennedyjones.substack.com/p/empress-eleanor-live-on-bbc-sounds)Fallout (https://alisakennedyjones.substack.com/p/empress-eleanor-live-on-bbc-sounds) (https://alisakennedyjones.substack.com/p/empress-eleanor-live-on-bbc-sounds)(link via THE EMPRESS (null) ) * Eleanor’s interview with (https://guildford-dragon.com/dragon-interview-its-like-nothing-thats-ever-happened-before-author-eleanor-anstruther-on-greenham-common/) Esme Campbell (https://substack.com/profile/327016233-esme-campbell) (the only person under 30 she knows who’s even heard of Greenham Common!) * Eleanor’s conversation on equity with Angie Browne (https://eleanoranstruther.substack.com/p/in-conversation-with-angie-browne) Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   13 Apr 2026

   The Draughtsman's Contract | Live with Vicki Lesley & Luke Honey

   Thank you to everyone who tuned in live today (and apologies that Luke’s video has a bit of a lag - we aren’t quite sure why - but the audio is perfect so shouldn’t affect your enjoyment at all.) A time of writing, you can watch The Draughtsman’s Contract (https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscription/film/watch-the-draughtsmans-contract-1982-online)on the BFI Player (https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscription/film/watch-the-draughtsmans-contract-1982-online)with a subscription (possibly geo-blocked within the UK, I’m not 100% sure). Plus there are 14 of his early short films (https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/collection/peter-greenaway-shorts) available to watch there for free - including the one I talked about with his alter-ego Tulse Luper, Vertical Measures Remake (https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-vertical-features-remake-1978-online). Peter Greenaway has given many interviews about the film over the years - around the time of its original release, for the 20th anniversary and again for the 40th anniversary remastering in 2022 - so there’s lots more to get stuck into if you’d like to hear from the puppet master himself..! This was so much fun - huge thanks to Luke. Do let us know what you thought of the conversation and if you want to drop any thoughts or comments on this film or indeed others we might talk about next, we’d love to hear them. Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

4. 

   9 Mar 2026

   From crisis & confusion to radical clarity

   Hi! Thanks for joining me on honest tour through my month just gone, as I embark on my next chapter after years spent making my debut feature documentary, whilst also navigating perimenopause (me) and autism (my son). Expect headaches, hang-ups and a whole lot of heart. If you enjoy my writing, do feel free to leave a comment. And of course I’d love it if you’d consider subscribing to get all my posts delivered straight to your inbox or the Substack app 😊 In the spirit of not burying the lede, let me cut straight to the main takeaway of today’s post: I’ve decided to move The Film Thread to a free model, with no paywalls going forward and my previously paywalled essays gradually made available for everyone to read. I’ll send out a separate email in a couple of days with all the practical details of what season 2 is going to look like now - and how you can still support me if you’d like to - but in the meantime, if you want to hear the unvarnished story of how and why I came to this decision, then read on. Plus, as always I’ve included some of my top work wins for the month. And stay tuned right to the end for a quick Chernobyl-related announcement. Hi friends, As I write, I’m looking out my window at the city below, blanketed in a dense, white mist. Yes, you might accuse the weather gods of being a bit obvious, but still, I can’t help but see it as a metaphor for how the last month has felt: a heavy, foggy layer that was becoming harder and harder to trudge my way through. I’ll expand on what I mean by that in a moment, but before you worry about me, I’m out the other side now. Just as being up here atop the steep hill we’re lucky enough to live on affords me a spacious view across and above the mist, I’ve managed to find some-much needed perspective on the weight (much of it self-inflicted) I could feel building up and bearing down on me these past few weeks. And I’ve made a big decision that in a stroke has lightened the load. Let me explain. As you’ll likely know, at the end of January, we reached the end of the first season in what became my overarching creative project of 2025 - my lovingly-conceived and executed online film club, The Film Thread. And three weeks ago I announced our all-new second season for 2026, looking at autism on film. I was supposed to be announcing the first film in the season last week. But I didn’t. So what happened? Well, there’s both a professional and a personal answer to that, though in reality those two things can’t really be disentangled, at least not for me in this moment of life. As I wrote about in my last post (https://vickilesley.substack.com/p/this-one-begins-at-home), the reason I chose autism as the topic for the new season of the film club is precisely because it’s something we’re living with in my own family - my son is diagnosed and as our daughter is getting older, it’s something we’ve begun to think and talk about in relation to her too (though hers is definitely not the same journey as his). Both of them are navigating very real challenges and they need me to be not just physically present but fully emotionally and mentally available. Sometimes the challenges spill out beyond the non-school hours when parenting them is my main job into the time I’ve allocated for working. That happened just this week - albeit a little more dramatically than usual: What that means is that I have to be pragmatic and realistic about how much work I try to cram into those allotted work hours. But if you’ve been here a while, you might have got the sense that I’m not naturally a streamlined, bish-bash-bosh kinda gal. I mean, I’m someone who took 10 years to make one film! There’s a reason the original title for this publication was Meandering over the Pebbles, not Swiftly Channelled Down the Nearest Outlet Pipe... I love learning and burrowing down research rabbit holes to ferret out the most fascinating information to share. This - I hope - results in work that earns its right to your attention. But it also takes me a loooooong time! I also have a tendency to run away with myself in coming up with all kinds of cool ideas that I get super excited about - but massively underestimate what will be involved in actually bringing them into being. And honestly, that’s what’s happened with The Film Thread. TRUTH BOMB TIME! Yep, this is the moment where I ‘fess up about the realisation that hit me over the past couple of weeks, as I felt that dead weight of a promise growing harder and harder to fulfil... If you were here for the first season, you’ll know that on top of the work that went into curating the full programme of 6 feature films plus companion shorts, each month I was researching and writing a long (4000+ word) in-depth primer essay as well as hosting a live Zoom call with a different special guest invited to each one. This was a LOT of work, but it was made relatively easier by the fact that I’d spent a decade and more immersed in the world of atomic issues. The same is not true for the world of autism and as my preparation went on through February, it became clearer and clearer that I’d bitten off much more than I could chew. At first I just thought I needed to delay my planned launch. But as I looked at the months ahead and tried to actually imagine fitting in all the work I’d set myself for the film club AND making progress with the other major pieces of work that are my focus for the year AND being there for my kids.... well, I just couldn’t. I’d hit a wall and felt paralysed to press on, but also embarrassed to admit it, especially having already hit the go button on launching season 2. So I paused. I journaled. I talked to my partner. And I had an incredibly clarifying conversation with the wonderful Laura Oldfield (https://substack.com/profile/19373495-laura-oldfield) who I’m currently working with inside her Kindling Academy. I knew things had to change. We talked through my ideas for how to create an experience that would still be really rich for people to engage in but would be more manageable for me to produce. And when she gently raised the possibility that perhaps I could think about dropping the paywalls completely, I felt, first, a frisson of shock at even countenancing it… and then an almost immediate sense of liberation and relief. I think a big part of that feeling was that, as a filmmaker, I’ve always wanted my work to reach as wide an audience as possible, so having some of my best writing - work I’m really proud of - locked behind a paywall where only a few people see it has, if I’m honest, always left me feeling a little conflicted. Time to knock down some bricks...? Laura helped me see that I am the boss of me. And I can decide how it all works. So I’ve decided. Strap in and get ready for The Film Thread 2.0. I’ve got a programme of films mapped out that I truly think will make for a great journey of discovery over the coming months - fun, moving, thought-provoking, horizon-expanding movies that have as much to teach us about the world we’re living in right now, as about the world in which they were made. But the format will be lighter. And I will be launching in April - which is Autism Acceptance Month, so that feels like just the right moment. Throwing everything up in the air feels scary, even though I know it’s the right thing to do. If you’d like to buy me a steadying coffee while I navigate these choppier-than-usual waters, you can do that here: Or you can still sign up as a paid subscriber - now for half the original price. Of course, I know I’m not the first person who’s taken on more than they can deliver, or made promises they’ve realised they simply can’t follow through on. And I certainly won’t be the last. But if any of this has struck a chord with you, or echoed some of your own experiences, maybe reading about me muddling my way through to a resolution might make you feel a bit less crappy about your own travails. And that would be a win for me. Talking of which... WORK WINS THIS MONTH Despite my mini existential crisis (!) I’m happy to say February was not a total bust workwise. Here are a couple of highlights to mention: 1. Created & published my Bonus Atomic Films Guide There’s not too much more to say about this one other than that it was a pleasure to compile and I had some very nice messages in response to it. I’d planned to put it behind the paywall but obviously now I’m pulling the paywall down, I won’t be doing that. I will likely make it a paid-for resource in some other way though, so if you didn’t download it already, now would be a great moment to do so: 2. Revamped my Substack homepage This has been on my mental to do list for a while, so I’m really pleased to have got on and sorted it. I previously had the page organised under topic headings - Atomic Stuff & Documentary Stuff - which made sense to me and anyone who already knew me and my feature doc The Atom: A Love Affair. But I always thought they might seem a bit out of left field to someone coming across my world for the first time. And that’s before we even got into my Meanders! Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice would say. So I’ve done away with the old headings and come up instead with something I hope is sleeker, clearer and more inviting - and will work to hold whatever new topics or areas I might decide to tackle in the future. These are: DISPATCHES (https://vickilesley.substack.com/s/dispatches) A monthly letter (or sometimes video) sharing behind the scenes of my personal & professional life. The place to find my honest reflections - as a documentary maker, mum & human - on creative work, midlife reinvention, neurodivergent parenting & the messy, interesting business of fitting it all together. CONVERSATIONS (https://vickilesley.substack.com/s/conversations) A documentary filmmaker in conversation - on the page or on the screen - uncovering the stories, perspectives & insights of people doing fascinating work in their different corners of culture, science & society. Mostly linked to areas I’m exploring in my own creative endeavours. CURATOR’S NOTES (https://vickilesley.substack.com/s/curators-notes) Ad-hoc written & video posts on cultural picks I think are worth your attention. A mixture of recommendations of good things to read, watch or listen to and lengthier reviews & analysis, typically of films or books related to my documentary preoccupations. Plus THE FILM THREAD (https://vickilesley.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-film-thread) still has its own page (which I need to rewrite now I’m changing how it all works!) which you can click through to from the top as well. And I’ve added an extra section, PORTRAITS (https://vickilesley.substack.com/t/portraits), tucked away at the bottom of the homepage for now, but which may get promoted to the prime real estate at the top in the future. In setting this all out so nicely, I’ve been indebted to my Substack guru Claire Venus ✨ (https://substack.com/profile/8406699-claire-venus) and her course Your Beautiful Digital (Substack) Magazine, which really helped me figure out not just the underlying thinking about what I want to communicate to the world about my work via my Substack home, but also the practical nuts and bolts of getting it all done. If you’re writing on Substack and really want to go deep into all the possibilities of how you can use the space as a home for your creative work/want to give your own homepage a makeover like I did, I can highly recommend the course (this is an affiliate link so if you do decide to purchase I’ll get something too - win win!) Or if you’re curious and thinking about dipping a toe into writing yourself, this bundle of quick tutorials for just 11 quid will get you on your way quickly and easily - Claire’s a lovely teacher 😊 3. Completed my 30 Days of Short Films About Autism I had such a great time doing this. Across the 30 days, on Substack Notes & BlueSky, I posted films from Europe, North America & Asia/Pacific, right through from the 1970s to the present day and spanning the genres from documentary, drama & comedy to animation, poetry & even a virtual reality short. I feel like I ended up with a genuinely fascinating collection that, brought all together, paints a complex, nuanced portrait both of autistic experience and of changing social understanding across the decades. So I’m going to compile it all into a lovely PDF resource for you, along similar lines to the bonus atomic films guide. Watch this space for that coming soon. BEFORE I GO Finally, I’ll talk much more about this and other Chernobyl-related things in my next monthly update, but a quick heads up and reminder now that April 2026 will mark 40 years since the world’s worst ever nuclear accident and there will, unsurprisingly, be many events taking place to commemorate the anniversary. One such event is taking place at the Othona Community in Essex (where I screened The Atom last year (https://vickilesley.substack.com/p/monthly-meander-sept-25-ahead-by)) with two friends of this parish - artist Angenita Teekens (you can read her The Atom & Us interview here (https://vickilesley.substack.com/p/the-atom-and-us-angenita-teekens)) and writer Philippa Holloway, who some of you will remember from the In-Conversation event I hosted with her back in 2023 discussing her novel The Half-life of Snails (https://www.parthianbooks.com/products/the-half-life-of-snails-paperback). Here’s the flyer: If you have any Chernobyl-related events you’d like me to spread the word about just reply to this email or drop me a comment and I’ll make sure to include the details in next month’s missive and on social media. And for those of you who’ve made it all the way to the end of what turned out to be a long and more than usually soul-baring update, THANK YOU. I’d love to know if anything resonated. Till the next time then, Stay curious, Vicki x Watch my film on Netflix (https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81409029) & Disney+ (https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/movies/atom-the-a-love-affair/4TqtevLnIZSe) (UK/Europe only) or Vimeo-on-demand (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theatomaloveaffair) - or see trailer, reviews & bonus content HERE (http://theatomfilm.com/store) Find me on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/vickilesley.bsky.social) & at LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-lesley-79034b5/) Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

5. 

   30 Dec 2025

   'One Night Stand': New Years rom-com meets nuclear apocalypse at Sydney Opera House...

   Thought the holiday season and atomic annihilation didn’t mix… you were wrong! As a little post-Christmas gift, it’s my pleasure to share this fun chat with Beth Lisogorsky (https://substack.com/profile/24190135-beth-lisogorsky) from You Need to Watch This! (null) about a largely-forgotten 1980s Australian atomic movie from director John Duigan, One Night Stand (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087844/?ls). It’s a weirdly enjoyable - and in its own offbeat way, undeniably thought-provoking - movie that surreally combines teen romance and coming of age tropes with (probably) the end of the world. If you enjoy this discussion, then I reckon you’d also love my members’ online movie club, The Film Thread (https://vickilesley.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-film-thread), whose first season is all about atomic movies. You can find out more about the club and sign up to join here: Other films mentioned in the discussion: * Flirting (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101898/) (Dir. John Duigan, 1991) * Sirens (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111201) (Dir. John Duigan, 1994) * Testament (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086429/) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086429/)(Dir. Lynn Littman, 1983) * The Day After (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085404/) (Dir. Nicholas Meyer, 1983) * Threads (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090163/) (Dir. Mick Jackson, 1984) * When the Wind Blows (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090315/) (Dir. Jimmy T. Murakami, 1986) * Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0352854/) (Dir. Ray Boseley, 1988) - black comedy set in Melbourne in the aftermath of a nuclear war) PS This will also be uploaded as a podcast (available on most podcast platforms - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocket Casts, Overcast) if you’d prefer to listen to the conversation. Just search for The Atom & Us. Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

6. 

   20 Nov 2025

   📖 Book report: 'The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Atomic Radiation'

   Welcome along to another in my series of occasional book reports. These are currently lifted from my heavily-laden atomic bookshelf but I may also turn my attention to some titles around autism and neurodivergence next year to coincide with the new themed season in my movie club The Film Thread (https://vickilesley.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-film-thread), we shall see. Till then, please do settle in to enjoy my overview and thoughts on what proved to be a smart charity shop purchase of mine some years back - not just for the illuminating contents, but because it seems this book is rather a rare beast. The only copy I could find available to purchase online is currently going for an eye-watering £180 on Oxfam Books (https://onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/the-intelligent-womans-guide-to-atomic-radiation/product/HD_303349464?sku=HD_303349464)! Abebooks, Amazon & Ebay all drew a blank (though you can buy a hoodie with the cover printed on (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/405442501493?_skw=the+intelligent+woman%27s+guide+to+atomic+radiation&itmmeta=01KAH3MM8407Z16X60ZG0W0020&hash=item5e66419b75:g:P6EAAOSwVnZnbbcP&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAABEFkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1eeZDIzI3tdbsvw%2BEMYA2JYtNbtG3YdEnBG1Z8z8kJ49xM8H3aNN1ksI1s%2BAaEcjJfJsCTkDITl3sV8ICHkHVDCqKtQs7TxOaqhosf7vpsZGd6qXONjwOuK%2FGfpbSibtG%2BtcCyUe%2FohpTlp7YDSfYFqgtzTFpHMKKuo7Lf24nG4zd7NYI%2BmB54spOD1ix1lKYCenLFNnm4jycOGRxfJUzYo7Ctt0DQ5ekSH4KuHkvn%2FxegPu94%2F9b%2BkUgZeDG2aMRZTVGt%2FJMQaQpnnu%2BQ%2FJt28etDijyTDeVPL3Hfk3unZOjucncyyI1itmazsF48UYLV3KDkx%2FrzAwXiLB6DTyMWq%7Ctkp%3ABFBMoMTSo9Rm) if that appeals!) I found this an incredibly interesting read and enjoyed learning more about the woman who wrote it and the Penguin series it’s a part of, as well as brushing up on the basics of atoms, ions and radioactivity and getting a first hand look at atomic issues from the distinct perspective of the mid-1960s, when both nuclear fallout and casual sexism were rife! Here are a few links I mention in the video: * Penguin Specials – because we’ve been here before on so many contemporary issues (https://cambridgetownowl.com/2020/11/27/penguin-specials-because-weve-been-here-before-on-so-many-contemporary-issues/) - this blog post highlights a host of other titles in the Penguin Specials series (and their eye-catching covers) and gives a great sense of the depth, breadth and serious-minded approach that underlay it * Margot Bennett (writer) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margot_Bennett_(writer)) - her Wikipedia entry if you’d like to find out more about her eventful & varied career (this footnote (https://books.google.com/books?id=pF2MmuB_E5kC&pg=PA160) in particular is well worth a click - it takes you straight to the Google Books upload of a 1993 cultural history book on 18th to 20th century images of gender in science & medicine whose Afterword discusses The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Atomic Radiation) * The Long Way Back (1954) (https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.462208) - Bennett’s sci-fi novel about African colonisation of Britain in a far future after a nuclear holocaust wiped out most of humanity * Ninki by Margaret (https://margotshares.substack.com) - a highly recommended Substack with art, culture and memoir written by Bennett’s namesake. By chance her latest post is (partly) about one of my all time favourite documentary series (https://margotshares.substack.com/p/an-inheritance)) If you enjoy this I’d so appreciate if you could take a moment to tap the like button - or even better drop me a comment with any thoughts or observations of your own. It really helps other people find my work. Thanks! Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

7. 

   16 Oct 2025

   Talking to Dr David Toke about writing, wind power, nuclear reactors... and almost being Dale Vince

   A lively, candid and wide-ranging conversation exploring the renewable energy revolution, nuclear debates, electrification, and the evolving political and media landscape shaping the clean energy future in the UK and beyond with Dr David Toke, reader in Energy Politics at Aberdeen University and author of Energy Revolutions by David Toke (https://open.substack.com/pub/davidtoke). Find more conversations and writing on atomic politics, culture and history over on Substack at Vicki Lesley is... Documental (https://vickilesley.substack.com)And check out my feature documentary The Atom: A Love Affair at theatomfilm.com (https://theatomfilm.com) Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

8. 

   7 Aug 2025

   Hiroshima survivors - in their own words

   As promised in my interview post with Yuki Miyamoto to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima, I’ve recorded some extracts from the following book, which I purchased from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum when I visited in 2004. Please take care listening as these testimonies feature graphic and extremely distressing descriptions. But the first-hand memories are vital for the world to hear - and even more so as the events recede further and further into history. The survivors’ appeals - that nuclear weapons must be abolished and no nuclear strike ever allowed to happen again - can not, must not be ignored. If you missed the interview with Yuki, you can read it here: I was also very interested to come across this piece by Kjeld Duits (https://substack.com/profile/23428405-kjeld-duits) which includes the very photo taken on Miyuki Bridge by Yoshito Matsushige, one of the survivors whose testimonies I’ve read out here. In my ignorance, I hadn’t realised quite how significant the photo Matsushige describes taking is and I’d highly recommend taking a look at the full piece, which goes into a lot more detail on this photo as well as many other rare and important images. Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

9. 

   19 Jul 2025

   📖 Book report: 'Chain Reactions'

   It’s been a little while but I’m back with another video book report for your delectation and this time I’m looking at Chain Reactions: A Hopeful History of Uranium by Lucy Jane Santos, published by Icon Books in the UK and Pegasus books in the US. It’s still a pretty new book - it came out in hardback last year and the paperback version is out at the end of this month (July 2025). You can get it from Bookshop in the UK here (https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/chain-reactions-a-hopeful-history-of-uranium-lucy-jane-santos/7650570?ean=9781837731565), and in the US here (https://bookshop.org/p/books/chain-reactions-the-hopeful-history-of-uranium-lucy-jane-santos/21019772). And if you’re based elsewhere, as always the internet is your ally 😊 Here’s the publishers’ blurb: Tracing uranium's past, and how it intersects with our understanding of other radioactive elements, this book aims to disentangle our attitudes and to unpick the atomic mindset. Chain Reactions looks at the fascinating, often-forgotten, stories that can be found throughout the history of the element. Ranging from glassworks to penny stocks; medicines to weapons; something to be feared to a powerful source of energy, this global history not only explores the development of our scientific understanding of uranium, but also shines a light on its cultural and social impact. By understanding our nuclear past, we can move beyond the ideological opposition to atomic technology and encourage a more nuanced dialogue about whether it is feasible - and desirable - to have a genuinely nuclear-powered future. A couple of quick show notes. I talked a bit about the Linear No-Threshold model for assessing cancer risk from radiation exposure, which forms the widely accepted basis for radiation protection in almost all countries around the world. But I forgot to mention that it hit the headlines again recently when the Trump administration issued several executive orders relating to the nuclear industry, including one directing the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to ‘reconsider’ its use of the model. You can read more on that here: To boost nuclear power, Trump orders controversial rewrite of radiation safety rules (https://www.science.org/content/article/boost-nuclear-power-trump-orders-controversial-rewrite-radiation-safety-rules) And I’m afraid I suffered an embarrassing menopausal brain freeze over the title of Richard Rhodes’ classic tome on the American nuclear weapons programme. It is of course The Making of The Atomic Bomb (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Making_of_the_Atomic_Bomb). Lastly, if you’re interested in Lucy Jane Santos’ earlier book on radium that one is called Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium (https://lucyjanesantos.com/half-lives/). I’m still finding my feet doing videos like this so if you enjoy this one, you can really give my confidence a boost by letting me know you liked it - by clicking the ❤️ or commenting or replying if you’re getting this over email. Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

10. 

    13 Jun 2025

    An honest money conversation with Keris Fox on how I funded my film & how I feel about it now

    I was delighted when Keris Fox (https://substack.com/profile/215633-keris-fox) kindly agreed to talk to me in this unvarnished chat delving deeper into the money stories behind my debut film - a companion piece to my recent tell-all post on the true financial numbers from its production/release: In this wide-ranging and intimate conversation, Keris and I covered so much, mostly focusing on my own financial journey with the film, but also finding many points of comparison with her own experience in the world of books and publishing and, earlier in her career, working in the music industry in London. Here’s an overview of what we talked about: * My experience of secrecy around earnings in TV * How I went about raising the money for my film & the differences to the mainstream broadcast model I was used to * How I knew how much money I needed to raise * Co-producing, working with investors, tax relief, the 'waterfall' of payments (in the event the film ever actually makes a profit!) * How I used credit cards to fund the film * Getting hired in TV with small children * Radio vs TV budgets * Diversity issues in the media * Class issues, privilege, buying a flat in my 20s, class confidence & entitlement * The impossibility of living in London doing a creative job now * How I got my first ever job in TV * Use of archive footage - cost, fair dealing, AI * How I really feel about what I spent making the film * What films I want to make next * Where my fascination with nuclear stuff came from * Noticing and appreciating what you HAVE achieved I really hope you’ll enjoy this conversation as much as I did - and if you do, I’d highly recommend delving into The Ladybird Purse • Opening up about money (https://open.substack.com/pub/theladybirdpurse) where you’ll find many more revealing and honest financial conversations Keris has had with her guests. The more we talk honestly about this stuff the better, right! Lastly, please do forgive the rather abrupt ending - this is the first conversation like this I’ve recorded and I was having such a lovely time I didn’t think properly about wrapping it up nicely on the recording! I thought I’d spare you the slightly inept tech chat that we actually ended on and next time I do one of these I’ll try to remember to finish things more professionally, promise 🤣 Watch my film on Netflix (https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81409029) & Disney+ (https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/movies/atom-the-a-love-affair/4TqtevLnIZSe) (UK/Europe only) or Vimeo-on-demand (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theatomaloveaffair) - or see trailer, reviews & bonus content HERE (http://theatomfilm.com/store) Find me on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/vickilesley.bsky.social) & at LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-lesley-79034b5/) Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

11. 

    4 May 2025

    I sold my film around the world. But I'm still in debt.

    This is a deep, deep dive into the true £££ numbers behind my independent feature documentary, 'The Atom: A Love Affair' released in the UK in 2020 - breaking down exactly how much it cost to make that film, how much money I raised up front and how much income the film has made since it was released. You can find the full written version of the piece at https://open.substack.com/pub/vickilesley/p/i-sold-my-film-around-the-world-but-im-still-in-debt (https://open.substack.com/pub/vickilesley/p/i-sold-my-film-around-the-world-but-im-still-in-debt?r=1nws2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true) Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

12. 

    4 Feb 2025

    📖 Book report: 'This Atom Bomb in Me'

    Welcome back gang. Trying something a little different today. After experimenting for the first time with Substack video last week, sharing a short animated film from my archives as a producer… …I’ve decided to step completely out of my comfort zone by recording myself actually talking to camera for you. And here it is! The prompt for this was that I finished reading a wonderfully vivid, impressionistic atomic memoir - about a 1980s childhood spent in the shadow of the US nuclear weapons programme at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. I really enjoyed it and felt moved to tell you about it and try to give you a little flavour through reading some of my favourite extracts. A video book report if you will. The book is This Atom Bomb in Me, by Lindsey A. Freeman, and it’s published by Redwood Press, an imprint of Stanford University Press. You can get it from Bookshop in the UK here (https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/this-atom-bomb-in-me-lindsey-a-freeman/316432), and in the US here (https://bookshop.org/p/books/this-atom-bomb-in-me-lindsey-a-freeman/11831038). And if you’re based elsewhere, then the internet is your friend - just search and I’m sure you’ll be able to find yourself a copy 😊 I really hope you enjoy this. And if you do, PLEASE let me know by clicking the like button - those little hearts truly make my day and give me the confidence to keep showing up and creating different things that I hope will resonate. And comments, re-stacks and shares all really help with getting my work out to more people too. Thanks! Watch my film on Netflix (https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81409029) & Disney+ (https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/movies/atom-the-a-love-affair/4TqtevLnIZSe) (UK/Europe only) or Vimeo-on-demand (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theatomaloveaffair) - or see trailer, reviews & bonus content HERE (http://theatomfilm.com/store) Find me on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/vickilesley.bsky.social) & at LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-lesley-79034b5/) Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

13. 

    24 Jan 2025

    This Place is not a Place of Honor

    Hello there friends, I hope you’ve had a good week and that you enjoyed reading my interview with Cornelius Holtorf. If you didn’t get a chance to check it out yet, here’s the link again: As well as personal memories from around the time of the Chernobyl disaster (which had a particularly profound social impact in Germany, where Cornelius is from), it’s packed with ideas and insights from his work as an archaeologist into the monumental challenge of safely storing the high-level radioactive waste material produced by both nuclear weapons and nuclear power, over an almost unimaginably long timescale. One of the things he references is the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico and the work done by a panel of experts at the Sandia National Laboratories, including social scientists, historians, archaeologists, futurists and climatologists convened to try to come up with a warning system to alert people many thousands of years into the future to the presence of this radioactive material. The resulting report, first published in 1993, included a warning text and images of possible physical warning markers that could be left at the eventual waste repository (on the basis that language might have changed or even disappeared over such a vast time frame). And back in 2010, I produced a brief animation inspired by this report, which I’m sharing with you here today. It was the first time I’d ever worked directly with an animator and one of the earliest films I produced independently outside of my TV work and there are definitely things I would change about it if I made it again today. But it was a fascinating piece to work on. And fun fact (which will probably only make sense to readers of a certain age) it was narrated by none other than… the Man from Del Monte! Meandering over the pebbles is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Here’s the text of the Long Term Nuclear Warning Waste Message in full: This place is a message... and part of a system of messages... pay attention to it! Sending this message was important to us. We considered ourselves to be a powerful culture. This place is not a place of honor...no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here... nothing valued is here. What is here is dangerous and repulsive to us. This message is a warning about danger. The danger is in a particular location... it increases toward a center... the center of danger is here... of a particular size and shape, and below us. The danger is still present, in your time, as it was in ours. The danger is to the body, and it can kill. The form of the danger is an emanation of energy. The danger is unleashed only if you substantially disturb this place physically. This place is best shunned and left uninhabited. Do let me know what you think of the video and I’ll look forward to being back in your inbox with more guests sharing their atomic experiences with you very soon. And don’t be shy in clicking on the ❤️ or re-stacking in Notes if you enjoyed this - it really does help others to find it too. Read More… Watch my film on Netflix (https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81409029) & Disney+ (https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/movies/atom-the-a-love-affair/4TqtevLnIZSe) (UK/Europe only) or Vimeo-on-demand (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theatomaloveaffair) - or see trailer, reviews & bonus content HERE (http://theatomfilm.com/store) Find me on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/vickilesley.bsky.social) & at LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-lesley-79034b5/) Get full access to Vicki Lesley is... Documental at vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe (https://vickilesley.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

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