Selected by Chris Metzler, Director of Programming, SF DocFest, for Recommended By...Festivals, a partnership with 11 film festivals from across both North and South America. With this collaboration we chart a course all along the map of the Americas as well as through the contemporary documentary scene.
"Daily we are bombarded by the invisible noise of modern life, electromagnetic signals zipping through the air. The Quiet Zone (Daniel Froidevaux & Elisa Gonzalez, 2017, Canada) explores a world of silence and looks at a community of electro-sensitive people who have found a safe haven in the only US town where by federal decree, the use of cell phones, WiFi and other wireless technology is prohibited. We at SF DocFest are a bit of a quirky, offbeat film festival so our programmers are always appreciative of immersive subculture documentaries, so we were easily hooked on the concept of a film that captured life in town free of technology. However this artful and beguiling cinematic essay takes everything a bit of a step further and encourages us to reflect on the ways we connect with one another which is something that resonates even deeper during this time of pandemic." - Chris Metzler
A community of electrically sensitive people is fleeing to a remote region of West Virginia called the National Radio Quiet Zone. Seeking refuge from the proliferation of wireless technology, this community lives in the shadow of one of the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescopes. Following four electro-refugees, The Quiet Zone charts the tenuous connection between the telescope and the community it shelters - reflecting our own concerns and ambivalence about the ever-widening encroachment of communications technology.
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