Electricity is a natural but invisible component in modern life. The new and controversial phenomena electro-hypersensitivity, concerning oversensitivity against electro- magnetic fields from mobile telephony, power lines etc., drastically throw light upon our dependence on electricity. What would happen in our society if more and more people would become oversensitive? What would a society without electricity look like? The footage was mainly filmed with a spring-driven 16 mm camera, but we also used a digital video camera, some historical footage, and stills. The sound was recorded on an old tape recorder in order to minimize the electromagnetic stress during the interviews.
Flykten från fälten / Fugitives from the fields by Nils Agdler & Timo Menke was awarded with the Diesel New Art Sweden Award (category DIGITAL) in 2004 with the following nominating and winning motivation:
Developing an allergy to electricity is both timely and topical. People who develop the allergy are regarded as oddballs trying to escape from modern life. The film documents not only the mystery and absurdity that surrounds the illness, but also the personal tragedy and struggle these people face to have their symptoms taken seriously by the rest of society. What makes Flykten från fälten so strong is that it combines individual stories and an experimental form.