Introduction

“Full Contact” is a contemporary tale of a man who accidentally bombs a wrong target through a remotely operated drone. Ivan, operating the drone from a far-away air force base, has never been to the foreign countries of his attacks, nor has he ever touched the drone he uses to kill. Modern warfare keeps him safe and disconnected from his prey. However, after this incident Ivan's disconnectedness starts to apply to everything in his life.

This new drama by David Verbeek, a Dutch director whose works have frequently been presented at various international film festivals due to his borderless activities, which include filmmaking in China, focuses on a U.S. Army pilot involved in a form of surreal psychological warfare in what initially seems to be a nameless country. Verbeek depicted a similar mixture of real and virtual worlds in “R U There” (2010), but this work examines the trauma suffered by soldiers who commit mass murder by remote control via a monitor, and explores the relationship between these two worlds in a wholly original manner. Best known for his work in Claire Denis’ films, and Naomi Kawase’s “Nanayo” (2008), the lead actor Grégoire Colin, is one of France’s most unique performers.