Nucleus

I met James many years ago; he attended the All-Tests Reunion and was present at the Medal award ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum. He has been involved with the community since 2010, and we have been in constant contact regarding his project ambitions.

His new hybrid feature documentary 'Nucleus' unpacks the unending and urgent legacy of nuclear weapons testing on our lives. Produced by Melt Films, there has already been a lot of work undertaken, as you can see from this Crowdfunder video.

Nucleus is a different approach from other documentaries. Nucleus will take viewers on a journey through macro visions, sonic frequencies we cannot hear, and liminal worlds co-created with our contributors. Anchored by the UN Headquarters in New York, a network of listening stations will transport us between our contributors' time here and their experiences back home.

Participants have filmed at the United Nations in New York. As well as myself, the documentary features Diana, a 4th-generation survivor of testing in the Kazakh Steppe, and Hinamoeura, a Mum and MP living with leukaemia after years of nuclear violence in the Pacific. 

The production team are now at the next stage after shooting scenes at the UN with the contributors; they are looking to shoot scenes depicting the impact on the families and the communities back home.

To achieve their goal, they are crowdfunding to raise money for the next steps. This has been a 10-year project for James, a lifelong ambition to make this film, and I admire his dedication to producing a different documentary. They need to travel to French Polynesia and Kazakhstan to complete production with Hina and Diana. 

You can find out more about the project on the crowdfunding page - https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/nucleus

We are asked a lot to contribute to publications, research projects, films, webinars and events, and we are extremely careful with our collaborations. We ask our partners to understand the Nuclear Truth Protocols produced by the Nuclear Truth Project:

https://nucleartruthproject.org/

As many of you are aware, other documentaries have been produced, and we have chosen to partner with 4. This is due to their commitment to the community and our cause. The producers understand the community and are respectful to traditions and the sensitive nature of our unique circumstances. Neither LABRATS nor I have received any monetary gain from this documentary; we provide our time and expertise for free to raise awareness.

If successful in obtaining funding, the film will be released in 2027. To have films released each year for the next few years is fantastic for the community, as it raises awareness of our continued fight for truth and justice. Please share the link far and wide across your networks so that they can raise the funds needed to complete this documentary.

It is exciting times for the community to have potentially four documentaries, 2 finished and 2 in production shows that we are making a difference.

A message from James Thomson and the team:

"Producing a documentary requires time, research, and trust. Due to the sensitive nature of nuclear weapons testing, safeguarding our contributors, our team, and our audience is paramount. Nucleus aims to empower contributors by accurately reflecting their stories, avoiding re-traumatisation and ensuring their control over their narratives. All key crew members will adhere to the Nuclear Truth Project Protocols - prioritising rights, respect, and reciprocity towards our key contributors."

"Our film will avoid traumatising imagery like archival footage of bomb tests for this reason. Recognising the geopolitical sensitivity, precautions will be taken during production to minimise risks by teaming up with local producers when filming abroad. Documentary filmmaking, especially multi-location projects, comes with many financial challenges. This crowdfunder will cover essential expenses for a rough cut, key to securing further funding to bring Nucleus to life."

Thank you in advance for your support.

Alan