National Bird – referring to the Reaper drone – addresses the extensive and shadowy US drone program. The documentary follows three individuals who each have decided to end their involvement in various capacities and who now face the consequences of their decision. Besides the stigmatisation of being a traitor, being legally prosecuted by the government and suffering from PTSD, the individuals experience a feeling of guilt despite the ‘remoteness’ of their involvement. One individuals travels to Afghanistan to an effort to make amends and hoping to find her humanity, speaking to the victims of drone strikes who tell their story. These stories represent the human cost of but one aspect of remote warfare – a cost that is often kept hidden and rarely acknowledged.
Source:
Intimacies of Remote Warfare