Ubiquity (2018)

Directed by: Bregtje van der Haak | 82 minutes | documentary

We live in a society that is always and everywhere connected. We continuously surf the internet via WiFi, 4G and other networks and communicate with each other via social media and apps. In this age of fake news and troll armies, more and more questions are being asked about its social and societal consequences. What matters much less is physical health. What do all those signals in the air mean for our health? In ‘Ubiquity’ the Dutch documentary maker Bregtje van der Haak examines the mysterious condition ‘electromagnetic hypersensitivity’ (EHS).

People who claim to suffer from EHS suffer from beeping in their heads, which makes it difficult for them to function in daily life. These beeps are said to be caused by electrical signals, for example from computers and ovens. The symptoms are so severe that it is best for people to avoid these signs completely. In the internet age, these signals via Wi-Fi and 4G networks have really taken off. So people with EHS can do nothing but retreat to remote areas where there are no devices or cell towers.

Van der Haak follows several EHS patients in widely divergent countries. They are all completely paralyzed by their affliction, which dominates their entire lives. For example, there is the Swedish engineer Per Segerback, who was ironically involved in the introduction of the smartphone at Ericsson and is now forced to live in a forest. To interview him, the documentary makers have to use an old-fashioned hand-cranked camera. The Japanese Asaka and Dutch Anouk have decided not to leave it at that and are campaigning for the government to reduce radiation networks and not to place cell towers in residential areas.

Van der Haak opens up the world of EHS patients through intimate close-ups and penetrating noises. Provided the sound at home or in the cinema is of a bit of good quality, you will feel the discomfort yourself due to the relentless noise and beeps in some scenes. The world is turning into a no man’s land of digital signals, spread by the ignorant masses with its smartphones. Meanwhile, EHS goes unrecognized and Per, Asaka and Anouk battle skepticism from unwilling governments and tech giants.

This is immediately a major weakness in the documentary. There is indeed no scientific evidence for EHS. The World Health Organization states that research has not shown a link between electromagnetic signals and the symptoms of EHS victims. Although every documentary is free to choose its own angle, it is a loss that ‘Ubiquity’ almost completely ignores this scientific discussion. As a result, EHS is presented as an undisputed fact, which does not do justice to reality. The symptoms are clear, but whether there is a link with Wi-Fi, 4G and other radiation remains to be seen.

Despite this blemish, ‘Ubiquity’ remains a fascinating portrait of three troubled individuals and their relentless struggle against their mysterious ailment. What also becomes clear is how far the digitization of society has already come – there is hardly anywhere to go for anyone who wants to withdraw from it for whatever reason. It begs the question: is there a right to be offline?