Echo

Allister, an amateur radio enthusiast in Northern Ireland, has difficulty speaking due to damaged vocal cords. At first glance, his world seems small, consisting of hanging up laundry, vacuuming and dozing in a chair. But in the 13 minutes of this film, we see his horizons expand.

Grainy, faded images of a motocross race, a factory, or a woman smiling and waving at the camera are like windows to the past. And from a room full of radios and cables, under a roof full of antennas, Allister makes contact with the outside world.

Echo is a layered and moving portrait showing the intrinsic human need for connection, the need to feel part of a community—and the surprising forms such a community can take.