Valentina and MUOSters review – US military surveillance in Sicily causes family conflicts under | Video

The subject of the text of Francesca Scalisi evokes the sci-fi threads of the 1950s, although the images of the film come from everyday drama. The term MUOS stands for Mobile User Objective System, a satellite communication system used by US military controlling drones, missiles and other types of remote attacks. One of the key MUOS stations is in Niscemi, a rural Sicilian town that is also home to Valentina, a 27-year-old woman on the verge of adulthood. Political but romantic, Scalisi’s film captures two parallel issues of autonomy: the protests of local people against the MUOS foundation, and Valentina’s determination to live an independent life.

A lot of emphasis is placed on Valentina’s complicated relationship with her loving but overprotective parents. She is an intelligent person, she does not work and stays at home, unlike her older sister who has started a career elsewhere. In an effort to become self-reliant, Valentina drives a car and applies for jobs, but her efforts are often met with harsh criticism from her father. Scalisi links the major moments of family discord to the atmosphere of scrutiny that prevails in the region. Valentina is constantly stopped and interrogated by soldiers stationed at the MUOS facility, disturbing moments that make her home a strange world.

Visually, the large, white antennas of MUOS stand out against the surrounding agricultural landscape, like an alien wearing thin air. Their electrical currents also carry environmental and health risks, including harm to pacemaker users – including Valentina’s father. Although Scalisi’s film begins with conflict, it moves to a place of unity and understanding. The music of the MUOS critics does not mention Sicily, but also Africa and the Middle East, especially Palestine. This is not a global fight, but a global one.