DRONE (Tonje Hessen Schei). 78 minutes. Some subtitles. Opens Friday (November 20). See listings. Rating: NNNN
Tonje Hessen Schei’s documentary starts from the presumption that remotely piloted airborne vehicles are a bad idea – they turn actual combat into video games that remove any risk to the pilots and thus distance them from the consequences of their lethal actions. By the end of the picture, you’ll find it hard to disagree with that argument.
Interviewing pilots, developers and victims of drone strikes, the Norwegian filmmaker explores this disturbing new trend in long-distance warfare – and what it’s doing to geopolitics and the rules of engagement. She makes a compelling argument that we’ve already lost control of the machines.
The film also raises a point that should be obvious in every conversation about drones, but somehow isn’t: eventually, drones won’t be exclusive to our allies, and our enemies will start using them as well. That’s an idea that lingers well after Drone has ended – and it ought to.
