IMDb page for Remembering Nearfield: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27747210/
Welcome
This is the website of the film, "Remembering Nearfield", which has won multiple awards including for Best Health Film, Best Film about a Disability Issue, Award of Recognition for film about Human Rights/Raising Awareness, and has also been awarded Best Animated Short Film. It stood out in prestigious international film festivals in 2023, was televised in the UK in December 2023, and in 2024 this awareness raising story continues to strike a chord with audiences and film experts at international film festivals across the globe.
Remembering Nearfield is a moving and educational testimony of electrohypersensitivity (EHS). EHS can affect a person's freedom, rights, and mobility to a crippling degree. It is a disability induced by exposures to man-made electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Dirty electricity/ELF electricity in the home and pulse modulated wireless technologies create EMF radiation, often very close to us (near-field EMF radiation) which is absorbed into our bodies and can trigger symptoms in sensitive individuals. EHS is inflamed by these environmental exposures and is a debilitating condition that is barely acknowledged by society. The film's testimony highlights the problems of living with EHS when our living environment is saturated in a boundless man-made EMF fog that increases year upon year.
“We need to transcend unhelpful taboos relating to EMF harm and disability to see electrohypersensitivity (EHS) for what it is – a real problem affecting real people in the real world.” – Sean A. Carney, Film Producer.
Remembering Nearfield is now translated into many languages. Hopefully the film will start an important global conversation about EHS to help ensure that recognition, disability rights and societal participation are secured for people with EHS.
It is unfortunate and unfair that predominantly, across the globe, people with EHS are unable to sustain an income and lacking support (in the form of recognised disability rights in particular), are facing a life of isolation, discrimination, marginalisation, impoverishment and misrepresentation because of the nature of their disability. The nature of this disability has been recognised for over 100 years.
"Before Edison’s lightbulb, there was very little electromagnetic radiation in our environment. The levels today are very many times higher than natural background levels and are growing rapidly because of all the new devices that emit this radiation." – Dr. Martin Blank, Dept Physiology and Cellular Biophysics at Columbia University.
Link to Dr Martin Blank.
Interview about the film
Clinical lawyer Shabnam Palesa Mohamed interviews UK filmmaker Sean A. Carney to gain an overview of his film discussing the health and social issues.
A Taboo Disability
"Citizens should not become excluded from society because of the nature of their disability." – Sean A. Carney, Film Producer.
EHS cannot be cured and is characterised by an intolerance to electrified environments. Prolonged or intense exposures to environmental man-made electromagnetic fields (EMFs) aggravate the condition. It is acknowledged that avoidance of EMFs can temporarily alleviate some of the discomfort, anxiety and other symptoms of EHS. We can reduce EMF. Society can be inclusive and more hopeful for people with EHS. Film producer Sean A. Carney believes, "Citizens should not become excluded from society because of the nature of their disability."
Remembering Nearfield introduces us to an everyday person living life to the full and embracing modern electrical and wireless technologies. Then life began to fall apart in step with the character's health. Initially, she was oblivious to the cause...was technology as described really capable of impacting her health? Was she "crazy" for thinking electricity might have something to do with it?
What do scientists think?
After many years, she realises the possible connection between her functional impairment and the electromagnetic radiation used by society for communication, entertainment, transportation, and ubiquitous electrical sources. – Professor Olle Johansson.
Read Professor Olle Johansson's review here.
Remembering Nearfield is a radiant as well as a brilliant animation film on EHS and EMS concerns. In principle, any man-made or unnatural radiation disturbs any natural species. It is a matter of degree to which a natural person or entity is sensitive to unnatural radiation. – Dr. M. Nisa Khan.
Read Dr M. Nisa Khan's review here.
Electrosensitive people are likely the canaries [in the coal mine] warning us that for all the excitement accompanying technological advances, even more important is how we handle and manage such advances. – Dr. Paul Heroux.
Read Dr. Paul Heroux's review here.
A Voice for the Voiceless
"Remembering Nearfield" is a testament to the importance of giving voice to the voiceless. Despite the protagonist's disheartening predicament, the film manages to evoke a sense of hope - a hope for understanding, acceptance, and the eventual alleviation of the societal stigma associated with such conditions. – FilmNet
Read the FilmNet Review of Remembering Nearfield here.
Scientists have shown EMF exposure can result in harm.
Lethargy, anxiety, headaches, and sensations of prickling or burning of the skin and a range of other symptoms are experienced regularly by people with electrohypersensitivity, attributed to environmental man-made EMF radiation (eg. ELF, microwaves, and radiofrequency radiation (RFR). According to Cindy Sage writing in Reviews on Environmental Health, "Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) and radiofrequency radiation (RFR) can have the devastating biological effects of disrupting homeostasis and desynchronizing normal biological rhythms that maintain health."
The message about EHS and EMF safety must have a voice. This animated film can help give a voice to the voiceless. Remembering Nearfield lets you hear and consider the voice of EHS.
"I never place a mobile phone next to my head because in one second I would develop a bad headache...I became electrically sensitive. People who have electrical sensitivity show that we do take some risk. Until we know more, we cannot say this is no problem.” – Dr. Gro Harlem Bruntland MD, former Prime Minister, Norway, and former Director-General, World Health Organization
Read Flemming Blicher's review here.
Avoiding man-made EMFs
The EMFs generated by our technologies are "non-native" EMFs. Naturally insulated environments and low-EMF public paces reducing non-native (man-made) EMFs are more friendly for electrohypersensitive people (and for people who consciously choose to avoid environments saturated with non-native EMFs). We can think of man-made EMFs as an "artificial additive" to the native electromagnetic bio-field utilised by all living things. Artificial additives as we know, can cause side-effects and health problems.
"Physicians are increasingly confronted with health problems from unidentified causes. Studies, empirical observations, and patient reports clearly indicate interactions between EMF exposure and health problems." – Belyaev et al, Reviews on Environmental Health, 2016.
“...(governments should) designate wireless-free zones in cities, in public buildings (schools, hospitals, residential areas) and on public transit, to permit access by persons who are hypersensitive to EMF.” – Benevento Resolution, International Commission for Electromagnetic Safety
Thought-provoking animated film
Remembering Nearfield provokes vital questions about what you may have regarded as "safe" levels of man-made EMFs in our environment. This is vital to realise. Did you know The Nation's investigation revealed mobile phones were never safety tested before being brought to market in the 1990s? Even now, it is still marketing and highly inadequate exposure recommendations, that are the recipe for convincing society it is safe to be adding more and more EMF radiation into our lives, globally. That is an especially dangerous prospect for anyone with EHS – being sensitive to and intolerant to levels of man-made EMFs.
To raise the issues surrounding EHS is proving to be a social taboo and we know the familiar derogatory stereotype of the "tin foil hat" as highlighted in the film. EHS is taboo, and incorrectly is often painted as an exclusively nocebo or psychosomatic illness, despite the existence of "objective quantifiers" of biological damage from EMF exposure including "reduced neutrophil counts [an impact on the immune system reducing white blood cells that engulf bacteria], which [like other biomarkers/symptoms] reverse in the absence of exposure." Source: G J Hyland, University of Warwick, UK. Oxidative stress (creation of raised levels of free radicals which can damage DNA and accelerate ageing processes) and other biomarkers are also associated with EHS and EMF induced harm.
Such induced biological damage can become modified in the absence of sustained exposure. The scientific reality of potential EMF harm, from Wi-Fi, etc, renders the "tin foil hatter" stereotype classically wielded by the cruder elements in the media terribly out of date (and unhelpful) as the breadth of peer reviewed science pertaining to harm and bioactivity induced by man-made electromagnetic fields, is now quite vast. From such research we will realise that prolonged exposure to EMFs can lead to chronic diseases, and there is no guarantee of reversibility of such sustained biological damage.
"I became electrically sensitive and have been criticized because I can scare the public. [I became electrically sensitive] happened only two months after I become Director-General of the World Health Organization.” – Dr. Gro Harlem Bruntland MD, former Prime Minister, Norway, and former Director-General of the World Health Organization
A Challenging film
Remembering Nearfield is a film challenging you to pay attention to something wider society relates to a taboo about discussing technology and possible harm. Ignoring the problems of electromagnetic exposure on health stultifies progress in advancing the respect of individual human rights in general, but more immediately assists in reducing the rights of people coping with electrohypersensitivity (EHS). Through education that can change; this film seeks to catalyse the global conversation we should be having about electromagnetically induced harm and disability. We need to talk about EHS.
Transcending genres
While Remembering Nearfield can be categorised as an animated short film, it contains narration which is from an interview bringing us a factual, personal account of electroypersensitivity (EHS). In this sense we are viewing a hybrid documentary, with a very important message for us all.
This film informs through a testimony spoken by Corriëlle van Vuuren who was diagnosed with electrohypersensitivity (EHS) after a long time not knowing why her health and life were ailing. She lives with debilitating symptoms which are caused when she is exposed to man-made EMFs.
Stylistic treatment of the subject
Our world today is permeated by ever increasing levels of electronically propagated wireless radiation. Over time these electromagnetic exposures can induce ill health and eventually a chronic health issue – through repeated prolonged exposures. How has this information been presented in the film? What stylistic influences are there at work?
Sean made carefully considered creative choices to present disability and he communicates a plethora of information in a cohesive aesthetic that becomes a hallmark of this film driven by the moving EHS testimony.
The spoken narrative of EHS inspired UK animator, Sean A. Carney to create the film and he has pondered the stylistic techniques apparent in his animation. He remembers seeing Peter Gabriel's memorable "Sledgehammer" music video, and UK animator Nick Park's work in Aardmann's "Creature Comforts" film, in his youth, and feels they must have left an impression on him, for similar techniques used in these animated examples come to the fore in Remembering Nearfield.
Sean animated directly from the supplied EHS testimony – similar to the compelling documentary style of Aardmann's Creature Comforts film, but instead of using stop motion "claymation" models to tell the story, Sean designed a digitally animatable, fully rigged character, which he then lip- synced to Corriëlle's voice.
But how exactly might Remembering Nearfield be influenced by Peter Gabriel's iconic music video, "Sledgehammer"?
Watch the trailer of Remembering Nearfield below and notice how the character is in a fixed position, always central in the frame, often changing scale, with the world moving all around her, which allowed for a complex interplay of motion graphics and descriptive, focused scenes. The Gabriel video used a similar aesthetic, though was more exuberant. This animation required a different approach.
With fast moving technological developments there is an increase in electromagnetic radiation density that is unprecedented our history. Environmentally induced EMF harm and its studied thermal and biological negative effects shouldn't be a subject "off limits" passing the public by. Why does the issue of EMF-harm remain a form of social taboo people are afraid of? Remembering Nearfield has made this problem accessible to people, with a rendition of a true story about the repercussions of inescapable EMF exposure resulting in electrohypersensitivity (EHS). It is hoped watching this film will make it easier for people to see some of the issues very clearly.
This film shows vulnerabilities...but emphasises resilience
EHS is sometimes being described as a "functional disability," with often disputed "mechanisms" causing symptoms. It has been especially documented, and studied, since the Second World War since the proliferation of radar, other microwave technologies and increasing levels of man-made EMF emissions. Many designations were given to denote EMF as a cause – like Microwave Syndrome, for example, which are terms still being used by scientists, for example, Lennart Hardell.
Are you wondering why you haven't heard much about illnesses/effects studied and attributed to wireless and electronic technologies? EHS in the public mind is highly controversial, especially when we are also told that EMFs are "harmless." They can be perceived to be harmless, you can hold that opinion, but as scientific studies show, they can also harm (as can opinions), and this can be concerned with individual sensitivity, and factors like how close an EMF emission is and how long a person is exposed. Genetics has been proposed as another factor. To say man-made EMFs are harmless, is just an opinion and never the whole story.
Let Remembering Nearfield's account of EHS fill in any gaps in your knowledge! But first, a little background on Sean A. Carney, the film's Producer, and on the cast, and especially on the subject of the film, EHS.
About the Producer
Sean A. Carney is a father of two, has an MA from Kingston University, and is a filmmaker, animator, and digital publishing and production expert. While at The Lancet medical journal for six years he had responsibilities in the graphic communication of healthcare campaigns, and creating design, illustrations and animations that helped explain important technical scientific data and peer reviewed science to the public. He is also an internationally exhibited/published professional photographer with industry experience as a technical operator and advisor on multiple photographic digitisation projects spanning the Museum of London, the British Library and Imperial War Museum Photograph Archive in central London. He's a qualified photographic retoucher and Adobe Certified expert in multiple Creative Cloud applications.
Sean regularly speaks about his work and EMF safety issues and was recently interviewed by the Children's Health Defense to discuss his film and EHS. HIs articles about technology and widely read letter to the UK government regarding 5G and other work encourage public awareness, debate and participation in resolving issues concerning public health and environmental man-made electromagnetic exposures. He believes exposure to man-made EMFs is a controversy because it's by-passing informed consent, biological safety protocols, and this will continue to be scientifically and legally challenged for a better outcome for society and is especially necessary for the protection and status of the electrohypersensitive; he believes precautionary measures and protections are vital for our health as a limit to further EMF-related health impacts on the vulnerable and the EMF-disabled in society. He is a signatory of the UK and International Consensus Statement regarding health effects of non-ionising radiation (EMFs) written on behalf of both Physicians’ Health Initiative for Radiation (PHIRE) and British Society of Ecological Medicine (BSEM).
About the narrator
Remembering Nearfield’s narrator Corrielle Van Vuuren lives in Europe in a densely populated country strongly focused on wireless connectivity and the electrification of society which has influenced her highly restrictive living conditions due to her EHS. She's aware that about 5% of the population in countries around the world are reporting their health complaints from mobile telecommunications radiofrequency emissions (a source of EMF radiation). She hopes that governments and politicians will seriously consider the negative social and health effects of artificial EMFs that affect the global population. Unfortunately it is a problem getting people to listen.
We can enjoy our technology without it becoming a source of anxiety or danger to others. Corrielle believes that it is time for everyone to exercise precaution, use wired connections if possible, and press officials for meaningful commitments to guarantee further urgent EMF research, and to advocate EMF reduction in our daily lives. We desperately need better exposure guidelines that aren't out of date and protect us not just from thermal EMF events, but negative non-thermal and biological EMF events as they are well documented in peer reviewed science.
About Musician, Kate Kheel
Kate is a musician and long-time advocate for safer internet and telecommunications technology. She is an active member of Safe Tech International, a coalition calling for a more balanced integration of technology into our world. She is an advocate for wired as opposed to wireless technology and is on the Board of Advisors for the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. Mindful of a relationship between technology and military expansionism, her outreach has extended to include how technology on Earth, in the skies, and throughout the oceans, is not only a threat to peace, health, wildlife, privacy, security and the environment, but additionally assures the lethality of war.
Evolving from her advocacy and passion for music is her envisioning of a new civilization — one that will be a blessing to all living beings and to Mother Earth.
Get the film's press kit
I must stress, this film is NOT a commercial venture, it is strictly non-profit and educational with a view to changing public perception about EHS, getting the public to think about it, and desiring positive change, as the situation for people with EHS, or even discussing EMF harm, is hampered by taboos and fears. – Sean A. Carney
3 High-Profile Cases of Electrohypersensitivity (EHS)
Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norway's first female Prime Minister (and was notably the Former Director-General of WHO from 1998 to 2003) developed Electrohypersensitivity (EHS).
Former Ellemtel telecom engineer Per Segerbäck developed EHS and his co-workers developed EHS symptoms as well.
Recently we have learned Iggy pop guitarist Ricky Gardiner had fallen ill in 1995 after developing EHS. Tragically, Gardiner died in 2022.
Still Haven't Watched the Film?
Watch the film now and show your support by sharing it widely across the world. You can watch it in many different languages. Simply select the subtitle you want from the CC menu (Closed Captions).
A film for social change
Show your support by sharing and reviewing Remembering Nearfield, which is competing internationally in a plethora of film festivals focused on human rights and animation. Your review, and your sharing, could make a huge difference to people with electromagnetically induced disability who have long sought wider acceptance, protections and EHS disability rights.
Can we protect ourselves from EMF?
We can be mindful of our health. We can remember that near-field (close proximity) exposures to EMFs can harm us. We can stop the near-field radiation emissions happening in our homes and at work. It's simple to do. Wired connections are a safer alternative to wireless solutions, so we can limit the radiation that can disrupt our body's complex biological functions, especially from with man-made pulsed radiofrequencies, such as wi-fi.
We can also explore ways to shield the body and the home for added protection, and change our diet to incorporate more organic food and increase our intake of antioxidants to build stronger cells and detox the body, as radiation causes cell stress which can lead to DNA damage at worse, and disease.
I consider the scientists critical of current exposure policies have very good cause to challenge European-based ICNIRP guidelines. The guidelines, much esteemed by industry, are neglecting the negative bioactive nature of the exposures on the public and the natural world. To say we are “safe” is a common, popular assumption, and it is strongly desired, yet we can see that perception is an achievement of PR and industry damage control, not the reality portrayed by decades of scientific study.
– Sean A. Carney, Producer.
Remembering Nearfield brings to you an opportunity to learn about some possible solutions considerate of EHS and the discomfort and limitations it can cause. Any measures furthering exclusion must be avoided. If you developed EHS you would not wish to be excluded from society because you have a disability. After the credits have rolled, what happens next is up to you. In whatever capacity you can please help to make society a better place where this disability is no longer considered taboo or where the people with it are being blindly stereotyped and discriminated against.
Full film credits and film rights information
Remembering Nearfield was conceived as a non-profit educational film and was made possible by the donation of the following original works. All rights are reserved.
The film including the Character Design and Animation © Sean A. Carney 2023, the Film Producer.
Audio Testimony © Corriëlle van Vuuren 2023, the film’s prime narrator.
Original Music Score “Improvisation for a New World” and audio recording of secondary narration © Kate Kheel 2023.
The copyright owners grant permission of this work to be viewed in a film festival setting for the purposes stated in the festivals’ respective rules and conventions.
"I hope Remembering Nearfield will start a global conversation about Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS)."