**UPDATE AUG 2016**
The IndieGoGo campaign is now closed - huge thanks to everyone who donated.
If you missed the deadline but would still like to contribute to help us finish the film, you can do so by heading to tennerfilms.com/crowdfunding
Our Story
In 2006, director Vicki Lesley set out to make a film about nuclear power. Little did she know then that this would turn into a life-consuming, ten year journey that is now, finally, nearing completion in the shape of the almost-finished feature documentary The Atom: A Love Affair.
After teaming up with veteran executive producer Christopher Hird, who's been at the helm of some of the most successful independent feature documentaries of recent years, including The End of the Line, Fire in the Blood, John Pilger's The War You Don't See, and most recently The Divide, Vicki's journey to get the film made has included:
raising almost £60,000 in investment from individual shareholders
and completing three successful IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaigns
Along the way, Vicki moved to another city, fell pregnant and had her first baby. It's been quite an adventure! And now you can help us reach the finish line.
The Film
Back in 2006, nuclear power was just starting to make its way back into the headlines - not as the dirty, dangerous power source that had brought about disaster at Chernobyl but as a clean, green solution to the growing problem of climate change. Back then, Vicki thought she was making a film about the comeback of nuclear power, of why and how it was happening.
Fast forward to 2016 and things look a little different. The accident at
Fukushima had a major impact on global confidence in nuclear - and
nowhere more so than in Germany - but other factors, particularly
economic ones, have also played their part in the stuttering
renaissance. Just look at the pickle the UK government and EDF are in
right now over plans to build the first new nuclear power plant in
Britain in over 20 years, at Hinkley Point in Somerset. But many people still fervently believe in nuclear power and the promises made for it. And yet at the
same time of course, many other people remain vehemently, passionately
opposed.
The Atom: A Love Affair goes behind the sensational news headlines to tell the inside story of how we got here. Combining behind-the scenes political drama with the tropes of sentimental screen romance and melodrama, the film takes
us on a tragi-comic journey through the turbulent and often-forgotten
history of this most controversial of energy sources, brought to life by those who were there. Covering 7
eventful decades on both sides of the Atlantic, we'll reveal how
the 1950s romantic
fantasy of an atom-powered future developed into a stormy, on-off
relationship whose drama continues to play out to this day. And with more and more distributed, renewable energy coming on stream each year, we ask whether this time, it really could be the end of the affair for the once mighty atom?
What We Need
The end really is now in sight. We have a completed rough cut and are now working on the final touches including graphics sequences, a musical score by our composer and confirming and clearing the large amount of archive material that appears in the film. We have applied for additional funding grants to help with some of these costs and also anticipate raising more equity funding through individual shareholders.
But to get to the stage where those things are possible, we need to do what is called
final post-production. This is basically a raft of different technical jobs, like audio dubbing and colour correction, that need to be done to ensure the film will reach technical specification for television broadcast, and cinema screenings.
In total, final post costs will come to around £20,000. We will be able to claim back 25% of these costs in the form of the UK film tax credit but are looking to crowdfunding, to all the people who've helped us get to this stage, as well as to new supporters who are excited by the film, to help raise the rest of the money to cover these vital final costs.
If everyone who has ever donated before gave just £10, we would reach 85% of our target. If we exceed our target, every penny will get us closer to paying for the archive, music, graphics and other costs involved in finally bringing this huge labour-of-love to the screen.
The Impact
We have big plans for distributing the film not just through
traditional TV and theatrical release but also through a variety of
innovative semi-theatric and community screenings around the UK and
beyond, as well as on DVD and online, and are already working with
various NGO partners on an outreach campaign that will accompany the
film on its release.
Energy is such an important topic for society but often it gets so bogged down in competing facts and figures that people lose interest. But we need to be engaged. By telling the personal story of nuclear power, we are appealing to people's human curiosity and compassion - following this up with Q&A sessions with expert speakers across the country will, we hope, help contribute to a renewed public conversation about a vital social issue.
Other Ways You Can Help
It's not just about the money. Yes, we obviously need it - but we also need to build up excitement and momentum behind the film so that lots of people will go and see it when it's released. If you're not in a position to contribute financially you can still make a big difference by spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter or via blogs.
TELL your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, students about this campaign and share this page: https://igg.me/at/atomloveaffair
JOIN us on Facebook
FOLLOW us on Twitter
SIGN UP to our mailing list
SHARE, BLOG, TWEET, RETWEET.
With sincere thanks for whatever help you can give.
Vicki, Christo and everyone on 'Team Tenner'
