iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Is it time to break up with Vimeo? My latest post dives into my 18 year journey with the platform, from great affection to total disillusionment - and my move to a new UK-based, ethically-driven alternative #filmsky vickilesley.substack.com/p/vimeo-vs-r...

vickilesley.substack.com

Breaking up with Vimeo (and an escape route for filmmakers)

The British director-turned entrepreneur trying to recreate the glory days of a once-beloved platform - and why I hope he succeeds

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

This tour through the track record of SMRs by historian Paul Josephson is essential reading for anyone who thinks they'll be the solution to any of the problems they purport to solve, from the climate crisis to data centres' insatiable thirst for power... engelsbergideas.com/essays/smrs-... #nukesky

engelsbergideas.com

SMRs: a short history of a nuclear pipe dream

Small modular reactors (SMRs) were first conceived for military use and deployed on polar bases. Seventy years on, their record remains dismal.

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I *loved* being a mentor for Arts Emergency but sadly their Brighton programme doesn't run anymore. But if you work in the creative industries & live in London, Merseyside or Greater Manchester you could change a young person's life - and greatly enrich your own - by applying for this.

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Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament @cnduk.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

With the campaign to shut down US bases in Britain growing, we’re putting the spotlight on the secrative spy base RAF Menwith Hill. Join us for a day of action on 24 October with a public meeting in Harrogate followed by a demo at the base. Registration is essential: cnduk.org/events/shut-...

Graphic with logos of CND, Yorkshire CND, and Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign and image of RAF Menwith Hill and its recognisable 'golf ball' radomes. Text above image: Shut down US bases: Kick out Trump's spy station. 24 October day of action. 12 noon: Public meeting, Friend's House, Harrogate. 2pm: Rally at RAF Menwith Hill

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I'm going live TODAY to talk about Dakota Fanning's 2017 comedy drama about a young Star Trek-obsessed autistic woman who takes desperate measures to enter her dream screenwriting contest. Head to this link at 12.30 if you fancy some lunchtime movie chat 😃 #filmsky open.substack.com/live-stream/...

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I've pulled together a list of ALL the films I've ever recommended across the first two seasons of my online film club (one on atomic movies, the other on autism). Do take a look! 😀 vickilesley.substack.com/p/the-film-t... #filmsky

vickilesley.substack.com

WELCOME TO THE FILM THREAD 🎬🪡

The easygoing, algorithm-free film club, where I share a hand-curated goodie box of lesser-known movie picks, for people who like to think deeply, but watch widely, on cinema’s road-less-travelled...

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Nature’s paintbrush doing some *very* strong work this evening… #brighton #sussex #sunset

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Sharing 5 uplifting European autism flicks in my latest film club bonus post. Have you seen any of these...? #filmsky

open.substack.com

Following the threads from... 'Ben X'

5 European films about autism to make you smile

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

I’m getting the team together for my new film and trying to be much more intentional about it than I was on my debut feature doc. If you know any Indigenous American doc directors/producers do send them my way. Ditto great female animators/sound designers 🙏🏻 #filmsky open.substack.com/pub/vickiles...

open.substack.com

Who You Make a Film With Matters

Reflections on finding the right collaborators for my nuclear colonialism short doc

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Pretty chuffed with today’s charity shop haul of vintage Ladybird books. But even happier with the original Blue Peter Bring & Buy sale sticker. All the 1980s childhood nostalgic feels 😍😄

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Sideshow freaks, fire-eating politicians & a sizeable cadre of clowns... it's The Plutonium Circus! And you can read all about it in my freshly unpaywalled deep dive into this darkly comic nuclear weapons doc. My 4th July treat for y'all 🇺🇸⚛️😄 vickilesley.substack.com/p/10-things-... #filmsky #nukesky

vickilesley.substack.com

10 Things to Know About... 'The Plutonium Circus'

The sharp-eyed indie doc that turned 'Bomb City', Texas, final resting place of America's nuclear arsenal, into thought-provoking - and hilarious - cinema

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Sharing the books I'm reading about the history of British nuclear colonialism on Western Shoshone land for my new short documentary. Plus, a bout of comparisonitis... #nukesky #filmsky vickilesley.substack.com/p/comparison...

vickilesley.substack.com

Comparison (or, am I still a filmmaker?) REDUX

An update on an old post, plus my current nuclear colonialism reading pile

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lynda williams @lyndalovon.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

NEIS Night with the Experts presents physicist, activist & performance artist Lynda Williams: “The Puke on Nukes: From Exposing NRC and DOE Deregulation to Techno Fascist Billionaires Going Nuclear” June 25, 8pm EST / 7pm CST / 5pm PST / 2pm HST Info: tinyurl.com/PukeOnNukes #NoNukes #NukePuke

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Any fans of Cinéma Vérité & the French New Wave out there? You should defo check out this fascinating & largely forgotten 1970s French doc about a radical commune for non-speaking autistic kids in the Cevennes. Slow, a little strange & VERY thought-provoking… #filmsky substack.com/@vickilesley...

substack.com

'Ce gamin, là' (1976): the pioneering autism documentary you've never heard of

Defying late-’60s psychiatric orthodoxy with communal living & wordless wanderings at a radical care community for “incurables” in a remote village in the Cévennes

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

A few thoughts on the way home from @cantkillthespirit.bsky.social - a wonderful play I saw today about a Greenham woman whose activist spirit is reawakened in the climate movement 40 years on. One more performance tomorrow if you’re anywhere near Brighton #brightonfringe #greenhamcommon #protest

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Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament @cnduk.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Join From Greenham to Nevada for their next online event looking at the relationship between Britain's nuclear history, colonialism, and big tech. 📆 Wednesday, 13 May ⏲️ 7:00-8:30pm (UK) Register: cnduk.org/events/from-...

Graphic advertising online event organised by From Greenham to Nevada.

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Last call for tonight’s essential webinar to hear about the past & present legacy of British nuclear colonialism on Western Shoshone tribal land #nukesky from-bombs-to-data-centres.eventbrite.co.uk

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Sobering stuff about the secretive & unaccountable surveillance activities happening in Yorkshire… www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTsi...

youtube.com

Bradford City of Climate Culture - Accountability for Menwith Hill US Spy Base

YouTube video by Bradford 2025 City of Climate Culture

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

So I forgot to tell anyone I was in the Washington Post! Guess I was just too busy listening to podcasts ha ha! Seriously though, this raised a lot of questions I'd not really considered before. Anyone else spend hours a day listening to other people's voices? www.washingtonpost.com/home/2026/04...

washingtonpost.com

Why we can’t sit alone with our thoughts anymore

A survey shows Americans listen to nearly four hours of audio a day. There are good reasons to take breaks and be comfortable with silence, experts say.

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Have you seen this month’s Film Thread autism season pick, Barfi!…? I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have. Did you cry as much as me when Shruti let the deaf Barfi know the love of his life was calling out for him?? And how much did it make you wanna take a train trip in Darjeeling! ❤️ #filmsky

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Another great webinar with an atomic flavour happening next week, with an impressive lineup of authors who've grappled with the human & political legacy of the world's worst nuclear disaster. I've just snapped up my own ticket, maybe see you there? #nukesky uncoverliverpool.com/events/wowfe...

uncoverliverpool.com

WoWFEST 2026: Cultural Fallout: Writing Chornobyl - Uncover Liverpool

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster — an event that displaced hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, contaminated land across Europe and irrevocably altered global attitudes t...

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Taylor Barnes @tkbarnes.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

#nukesky For folks following the Savannah River Site/ plutonium pit production/ the $25 billion+ nuclear boondoggle in rural South Carolina, I highly suggest Jillian Magtoto's reporting. Great new article about what that $25 billion building looks like inside www.savannahnow.com/story/news/e...

savannahnow.com

The first—and maybe last—peek inside a plutonium pit facility

Watchdogs get rare inside look at MOX-to-pit facility, raising concerns over costly delays, redesigns, and readiness for plutonium production by 2030

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Hugely enjoyed watching & learning the story behind this uplifting Bollywood rom-com that genuinely centres its autistic & disabled leads AND channels the spirit of Buster Keaton & Charlie Chaplin ❤️ A lovely Sunday watch if you’re in a movie kinda mood #filmsky open.substack.com/pub/vickiles...

open.substack.com

Barfi! (2012): The Film Thread autism season goes Bollywood

Darjeeling delight & love beyond words in this affirming period Hindi rom-com about a deaf-mute mischief-maker and his autistic soulmate

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Greenham Women Everywhere @greenhamwomen.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

💬 "I looked up some pictures of Greenham a few weeks ago. It’s very peaceful now, the silos sleeping under grass and the fence replaced by trees, and I thought, we did that." Yes Liz, you did. Read Liz gray's incredible story of her time at Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp here ➡️ buff.ly/3mXVXDK

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Honoured to be taking part in this webinar, a rare opportunity for UK campaigners to hear direct from the Western Shoshone about the toxic ongoing legacy of British nuclear tests in Nevada, with new updates on contamination & the connection to AI #nukesky from-bombs-to-data-centres.eventbrite.co.uk

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Maaike @maaikeverbruggen.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Watching the HBO show Chernobyl today, and i cannot believe it came out 7 years ago? It felt like not too long ago. Covid19 (lockdown + Long Covid) has warped my sense of time so much

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Raspad, the Chernobyl film I’ve posted about today, prominently features the Eastern bloc version of the Tour de France which rode through Kiev in the days after the disaster. It’s a strange feeling thinking of that race as I sit watching Liege-Bastogne-Liege while reading today’s news headlines…

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster I’ve re-posted my film club essay from last year about the rarely-seem Ukrainian film Raspad, shot just 3 years later as the Soviet Union was crumbling. It’s a *great* film if you don’t know it open.substack.com/pub/vickiles... #filmsky #nukesky

open.substack.com

Chernobyl at Forty: 10 Things to Know About.. 'Raspad' (1990)

A deep dive into Ukrainian director Mikhail Belikov’s rarely-seen Soviet-era movie about Chernobyl, to mark the 40th anniversary of the world's worst nuclear disaster

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Malcolm Craig @malcolmcraig.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

This is so fascinating: an article from the British girls and young woman's magazine Just Seventeen about a 1985 visit to the peace camp at Greenham Common.

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

What a discovery! So fascinating. Where is the modern equivalent of this I wonder..?

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Do you hanker for some arch 17th century wit (and wigs) to accompany your lunchtime sandwich? 😄Then come join me & film buff/antiques expert Luke Honey live on Substack on Monday when we'll be discussing Peter Greenaway's flamboyant 1982 masterpiece The Draughtsman's Contract #filmsky #moviesky

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

And for our first movie pick of the new season (drumrolls, please) it’s… Mary and Max! The darkly comic, emotionally heartwrenching Aussie claymation tour de force that many people say is their favourite depiction of #autism in film. Have you seen it..? #filmsky #moviesky #thefilmthread

open.substack.com

Mary & Max (2009): our first pick in The Film Thread autism season

A bracing, bittersweet portrait of difference, loneliness & unconventional friendship from one of Australia's most acclaimed stop-motion animators

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

A sneak peak of what’s coming in season 2 of The Film Thread, my now entirely FREE online film club where for the next few months we'll be following the threads of #autism on film. First movie pick drops tomorrow & it’s a corker. Subscribe at vickilesley.substack.com for all the updates! 😃 #filmsky

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nonfics.bsky.social @nonfics.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Daniel Roher & Charlie Tyrell's 'The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist' was the top-grossing documentary over the weekend, with $650,000. Read our review to see why we called it "the issue documentary that drops the mic on all the world’s problems." www.nonfics.com/p/ai-doc-or-...

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

It's come around super quick but in just a couple of days I'll be kicking off the second season of my lovingly curated, algorithm-free film club and to mark the occasion I looked back over the 6 films (plus a few of the shorts) I programmed in our first season on #atomic movies #filmsky #nukesky

open.substack.com

(Live) Reflections on Season 1 of my Substack film club, ahead of Season 2: following the film threads from the atom to autism...

Did you know I run a film club right here on Substack?

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Life circumstances have meant it’s been some years since I was last out on the streets marching for a better world & I couldn’t be prouder to have been doing so as a long standing member of GJN. So inspiring & hopeful to see thousands coming together to fight division in all its forms ❤️

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Great companion essay to accompany the new Criterion release of the 1983 nuclear war film Testament. I hope more people will take the time to see this quietly haunting, heartbreaking movie - an essential watch now more than ever #nukesky #filmsky www.criterion.com/current/post...

criterion.com

Testament: In the Twilight

In her first and only theatrical feature, director Lynne Littman presents an unbearably intimate vision of apocalypse, focusing on the effects of a nuclear blast on one suburban American family.

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

It’s never easy to roll back on commitments in public, but sometimes it just has to be done! Bit of a vulnerable monthly update from me this one, but it does feel like a weight off now I’ve said it out loud… vickilesley.substack.com/p/monthly-me...

vickilesley.substack.com

Monthly Meander Feb '26: From crisis & confusion to radical clarity

aka it all got too much... so I knocked down the (pay)wall

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

I watched this this morning in readiness. What an extraordinary film! I'm gonna have to join with camera & mic off on Zoom as it's right in the middle of the kids' dinner time, but I can't wait to listen to the discussion...

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Short films about #autism #30 To conclude our tour of short-form autistic representation, here's a delicious comedy short taking us inside the head of a young autistic guy as he tries to make small talk with friends of his parents.Thanks for watching along! #filmsky www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUIJ...

youtube.com

Luca Fox - Act Natural

YouTube video by Focus on Ability Film Festival

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Short films about #autism #29 One of the most memorable shorts I've watched over this past month, Love, Leymo (2023) draws together issues of autism, race, poverty & the coronavirus pandemic to create a moving, hopeful portrait of love, loss & coming of age #filmsky www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys4D...

youtube.com

Growing up with autism and without my mom. I want her to know I’m going to be OK | Love, Leymo

YouTube video by CBC Docs

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Vicki Lesley @vickilesley.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Short films about #autism #28 This award-winning student animation powerfully brings to life not only the extreme physical experience of autistic meltdown, but also the positive effect others can have by being present, kind & non-judgemental when it happens #filmsky www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zej9...

youtube.com

Meltdown Thesis Film

YouTube video by PencilShavings13

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