Green Bank Pastoral

The sleepy village of Green Bank in the U.S. National Radio Quiet Zone is a huge draw for people with electro-hypersensitivity (EHS). The reason: Green Bank has an observatory of five radio telescopes, which can only operate in an area free from electromagnetic radiation. Mobile phones and laptops are therefore banned. Some residents have already moved more than thirty times before settling at Green Bank. They hope that this radiation-free spot will be a sanctuary where they can finally find peace. However, the move to this offline world doesn’t necessarily bring an end to their worries, because electro-hypersensitivity is often not their only problem. One resident explains that his wife not only has EHS, but a chemical allergy as well, so he has had to build their house himself using only natural materials. Director Federico Urdaneta gives his protagonists plenty of space to talk about their exceptional lifestyle—and to speak openly about their experience of being filmed. A fascinating glimpse into a world inhabited by, as one resident put it, “a high percentage of unusual people”. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)