Wish You Were Here

Is virtual reality really a "medium of empathy"? And can it be used to approach the experience of terminal illness?

Aneta (36) was diagnosed with breast cancer. How much time does she have left? What's going on in her head? In classic documentary style, the filmmakers observe her life. But thanks to VR technology, which extends the shot to 360°, we have the opportunity to see (and be) behind the scenes of the making of this "meta-documentary" that deliberately breaks all the "canonical" rules of VR. The filmmakers don't hide in another room, they don't blur the devices of film technology in post-production, thus breaking the illusion of intimate contact with the protagonist. This constructed and unnatural situation is also a pretext for exploring the relationship between the participant and the protagonist and for asking questions about empathy and compassion in (virtual) reality.

OUR STORY

author: Michał Stankiewicz

country: Poland

year: 2023

runtime: 28 min

language: English

premiere: world premiere

motion sickness risk: low

control complexity: no interactions

section: Dimensions of Empathy

location in DOX: Area C (ground floor)