An extensive collection of different material about the history of the NRTS-INL area in Idaho is the starting point for this video essay. Local and national newspaper articles, photographs and footage from field research and archives are the data associated and connected in a new “sometimes true, sometimes fictional“ narration about the territory surrounding the INL facilities. Precisely, focusing on the concept of expectation and how this idea is related, positively and negatively, to different aspects of the reality concerning the INL area and history: from the real estate industry (which was supposed to sell a pleasant community life to the INL’s workers, in the city of Arco and Atomic City) to the dream like idea that nuclear energy is safe, to people’s necessity to have a job. Parallel to that, the history of nuclear research, the increasing of atomic tests during the cold war, and the philosophy of propaganda are some of the themes the work offers for the audience’s reflection. Personal fear and archive materials become part of a dual screen video in which the observer is free to associate and play further between the layers of information.

Video Essay – 44:44 min – 2 channel HD Video  - length: 47'06 - 2019
The Video has been realized for the 4th annual exhibition "Holding What Can’t be Held", based on the area of the radioactive ‚clean-up‘ site at the Idaho National Laboratory (US), presented at MING Studios, Boise (US)