Remembering Nearfield
This short film might change how you see wireless technology.
Have you ever heard of someone who can’t walk into a coffee shop just because Wi‑Fi gives them headaches? Or someone who had to leave their own home just to feel safe? For people living with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS), this isn’t sci‑fi—it’s daily life.
A powerful short film is helping us understand why. Titled Remembering Nearfield, this in 2023 animated documentary by Sean Alexander Carney runs just nine minutes. Yet in that short time, it does something many longer films struggle to do: it makes you feel what it’s like to live with EHS.
The story is based on Corriëlle, a woman who once led an active, successful life with family and business—until her health began to mysteriously decline. She experienced illness, pain, exhaustion, anxiety, and confusion. No cause could be found and nothing helped.
Eventually, she was diagnosed with EHS: her body is reacting severely to man-made electromagnetic radiation—from Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cell phone signals to cell tower transmitters and electricity. What’s invisible and harmless to most became toxic for her and it turned her world upside down.
Since you can’t see electromagnetic fields, the film uses animation to show a dark, oppressive cloud following her everywhere. There’s no escape. The air feels heavy, the noise never stops, and her body pays the price. It’s a powerful visual metaphor for what many with EHS experience every day.
Why Watch This Film?
First, it’s incredibly accessible: free to stream, just nine minutes long (perfect for a lunch break!), and available in dozens of languages with subtitles. No login, no paywall—just click and watch on Vimeo.
More importantly, the film doesn’t attack technology or claims to have all the answers. Instead, it asks a simple but profound question: “What if some people are genuinely affected by signals others can’t even feel?“
For many with EHS, the challenge isn’t just the physical symptoms—it’s the total isolation. Friends, family, doctors, and society often dismiss the illness. As wireless devices multiply, those with EHS are left behind without support, accommodations, or recognition. In most countries, EHS isn’t even classified as a disability, denying people access to healthcare, legal protection, or workplace adjustments.
Remembering Nearfield puts this injustice front and center—and it’s already making waves. Since its release in 2023, the film has been selected for over 57 international festivals across the globe, from Singapore to Africa, Hollywood to Cannes. It’s won so far 17 awards, including Best Health Film, Awards for Human Rights, and honors at the Cannes World Film Festival and Veneto International Film Festival. These aren’t just trophies—they’re proof that audiences are ready to listen.
A Bigger Conversation
We live in a hyper-connected world where more devices and signals flood our air every day. For most, this brings convenience. But Remembering Nearfield reminds us that progress doesn’t always benefit everyone equally. Sometimes moving forward means leaving people behind. Sometimes what feels normal to one person is debilitating to another.
This film won’t solve everything overnight. But it starts vital conversations. It builds empathy. It gives voice to those who’ve been ignored for too long. And in doing so, it plants seeds for a more inclusive future—one where technology serves everyone.
So go ahead – click play and spend nine minutes seeing the world through different eyes. You might just look at the signal bars on your phone a little differently afterward. Because somewhere, someone else is counting them in a way you never expected.
If you want to put a yellow chair somewhere you could print out the QR code (link) and attach it to the yellow chair.
