Guardian reviews documentary on US military base protests in Sicily

The Guardian this week reviewed Francesca Scalisi's documentary 'Valentina and the MUOSters,' a film set in the Sicilian town of Niscemi, where a US military satellite communications system known as MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) has sparked local opposition.

According to the review, the documentary follows a young woman named Valentina as she strives for self-reliance against a backdrop of community protest. The Guardian's critic notes that the film's title "evokes a 1950s sci-fi yarn" but remains rooted in the everyday drama of a rural town confronting an external technological presence. The MUOS system, built on a former NATO base, provides ultra-high-frequency communications for the US military. Since its installation began in the 2010s, it has faced sustained opposition from local residents and environmental groups, who have raised concerns about potential health risks from radiofrequency emissions and the impact on the surrounding landscape.

The Guardian's reviewer describes the film as visually grounded in the ordinary—fields, homes, family interactions—while the giant satellite dishes loom in the distance, a constant reminder of the base. Valentina's story becomes a lens through which the film examines broader questions of autonomy, sovereignty, and the relationship between a small Sicilian community and a global military power. The review notes that the documentary does not take a polemical stance but instead allows the tension to emerge from the daily lives of its subjects.

The MUOS controversy in Niscemi has been reported by international media for years. The base, located in a nature reserve near the coast, was initially opposed by the regional government of Sicily, which passed a resolution against it in 2014. The Italian parliament later approved the project under pressure from NATO commitments. Local activists have held regular protests and blockades; some have taken their case to Italian courts, which have issued conflicting rulings on the legality of the emissions. The documentary, premiering at international festivals, arrives as the debate over foreign military installations on Italian soil continues to resonate, particularly in Sicily, which hosts several US and NATO bases including Sigonella and Trapani.

Francesca Scalisi, a Belgian-Swiss director who has spent time in Sicily, told foreign press outlets prior to the review that she wanted to capture the quiet dignity of people living in the shadow of a global security apparatus. The Guardian review is the latest in a series of positive notices from European film critics, who have praised the film's intimate approach to a polarising issue. The documentary is currently screening at select cinemas in Italy and is expected to be available on streaming platforms later this year. For Sicilians, the film offers a familiar portrait of a region where international geopolitics meets local life, often with little say from the people on the ground.