“Tell me how we’re winning, when every time we kill four [potential terrorists], we create 10?” asks Col Lawrence Wilkerson, a former chief of staff for Colin Powell, when discussing the efficacy of drone attacks. That sums up the argument of this cool-headed, finely constructed documentary on the newest, most controversial method of warfare. Without stridency but with a clear sense of purpose, director Tonje Hessen Schei compiles a mix of original interviews and footage and archive material and simulations to explore the history of drones (they were invented to help fishermen find tuna); how they fit into the current military-industrial complex; and who is affected by them. That last topic prompts introductions to victims of drones in places such as Waziristan in Pakistan and determined activists who aim to help them, but also US pilots such as Brandon Bryant, who was left with PTSD after his time killing people via remote control, and now campaigns for restrictions on drone use.
