5,000 Feet is the Best

About

Omer Fast is the first artist to feature in the new IWM Contemporary programme, presenting the London premiere of his film 5,000 Feet is the Best. This 30-minute filmwork, based on interviews with a former drone operator in Las Vegas, details the operator's experiences guiding the unmanned planes to fire at targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, as the film progresses unsettling flashbacks and re-imagined scenarios expose the psychological impact of his experiences. As the narrative becomes increasingly disorientating, time and place become confused and questions are raised about the division between truth and memory, reality and fiction. 5,000 Feet is the Best offers a subtle exploration of how the use of drones is rapidly changing the politics, ethics and personal experience of contemporary conflict. IWM Contemporary is a new programme of exhibitions and events by leading artists and photographers whose work is a response to war and conflict. Upcoming exhibitions include IWM Contemporary: Mike Moore and Lee Craker which will feature their contrasting styles in photographing US and UK soldiers in Iraq from 1991 — 2012.