Australian documentary “Atomic Paradise” has been selected for the Taiwan Creative Content Fest, bringing international attention to a project that reframes one of the 20th century’s most devastating legacies through the eyes of those who lived it.
The feature documentary, helmed by award-winning First Nations director and writer John Harvey, challenges what he calls the sanitized language of nuclear “testing” – a term that obscures the reality of real bombs detonated on real lands that were the homes of real people.
“These were not ‘tests’ – these were real bombs, detonated on real lands that were the homes of real people,” Harvey states. “In the Pacific, the bomb wasn’t an idea or an experiment — it was a force tearing through real lands, real families, real lives and it endures.”
The project has already generated significant buzz on the international documentary circuit. At the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC), “Atomic Paradise” received both the Sunnyside of the Docs and Doc Edge Awards.
Harvey brings a distinctive approach to the nuclear narrative, one shaped by childhood memories of hearing about French President Jacques Chirac and the Rainbow Warrior bombing, but noticing the absence of First Nations voices in those stories. His 2023 archival film “Still We Rise” won the AIDC best documentary and Australian Directors Guild Award for best direction, establishing him as a powerful voice in Indigenous storytelling.
“‘Atomic Paradise’ is a feature documentary that challenges colonial myths, using cinema to create revelation for the audience,” Harvey explains. “The film offers a fresh perspective, drawing upon Indigenous knowledge systems to understand our nuclear history and how it might shape the future of humanity.”
The documentary eschews traditional narrative structure in favor of Indigenous oral storytelling traditions, organizing its content into seven chapters with character archetypes rather than following a singular protagonist. The film’s scope spans the Pacific rim – from the United States to French Polynesia to Australia – deliberately flipping the perspective from nuclear superpowers to Indigenous peoples who found themselves “in the cross hairs of the so called ‘testing.’”
Producer Aline Jacques, who co-founded SAM Content with twice Emmy-nominated director Sally Aitken in 2021, describes the project as being “in advanced development and financing.” Jacques notes that TCCF represents a crucial opportunity to “secure broadcasters in the Asia Pacific region to complete our finance plan – and more importantly – reach the audience of the Asia Pacific region.”
The production has received support from Screen Australia, Screen NSW and Screen Queensland. The team has developed their methodology using SA Pathways and Protocols, while also building on protocols outlined by the Nuclear Truth Project, which fosters collaboration between First Nations peoples affected by testing.
Aitken serves as executive producer and producer on the project. A Sundance alumna, her feature documentaries “Playing with Sharks” and “Every Little Thing” both premiered in competition at the festival.
SAM Content’s recent slate includes “The Hunt for the Family Court Killer” for Paramount+/Network Ten and multiple projects for major broadcasters including BBC, ABC, National Geographic, PBS and SBS.
The production timeline calls for all financing to be in place by March 2026, with pre-production beginning in April and principal photography in May. Post-production will commence in July, with final mastering scheduled for December 2026. The team plans to submit to major international festivals in 2027, targeting Sundance and Toronto premieres.
Harvey, who is the inaugural recipient of the First Nation Writers Residency in partnership with Boston University and First Nations Writers Network, works across film, theater and visual arts. His award-winning play “The Return” unearths the dark story of the theft of Indigenous remains for scientific study, while his film “Katele (Mudskipper)” won best short film at Flickerfest and MIFF.
“‘Atomic Paradise’ not only shines a light on an unseen perspective of our nuclear history, it allows us to truly understand one of the greatest existential threats to humanity in a new and profound way as we grapple with this unfolding reality today,” Harvey says.
