On Air

Astrid Ardagh / Norway, Netherlands / 2024 / International Premiere / 20 min.

synopsis

In 2022, a Russian cyberattack cut off the Norwegian islands of Bjørnøya and Hopen from the world for two weeks. A group of Norwegian radio amateurs brought the voices of civilization back to the hypnotic icy wasteland. This compelling essay looks through the inquiring eyes of extraterrestrial anthropologists, who suggest that Morse code and radio signals may one day save our fragile digital world.

“It may seem like the ham radio operators cleave to the past, but in today’s world, with threats of war, extreme weather, and solar storms, it could be that they are actually ensuring our future survival.” — Nordnorsk kunstnersenter

biography

Astrid Ardagh (born 1997) is a Norwegian artist and filmmaker who studied film at the Amsterdam University of the Arts. In her work, she combines anthropology with poetic visual language. She has made short films, such as Har du sett ho, A Forgotten Childhood, Sphere A, Wildborn, and Leak.