GLOW: Spotlight on VR

2023, Korea, US

15 minutes (Part 3 of a trilogy)

In 1969, a brothel was established exclusively for the US military near the US Air Force Base in Kunsan, South Korea. About 500 residential units were built and “American Town” corporation was established with approval and support from the Korean government. The women recruited from all over the country were called “US military comfort women” by the authorities. American Town grew to be a small self-sustaining city that provided US soldiers with whatever convenience they desired: currency exchange, culinary pleasures, and sex. One thousand American soldiers visited every night.

Shot on the actual site, Comfortless is a 360-3D cinematic immersive experience of American Town during its heyday in the 1980s.

2021, South Africa

16 minutes

Container makes visible the ‘invisiblised’ bodies enabling our consumer society. Confronting slavery through an ever-transforming shipping container, we witness the shards of society: the ghosts of the past and living spectres of the modern world. Our journey begins at Clifton beach, Cape Town where lie the graves of the 221 enslaved men and women who drowned in shackles when a Portuguese slave ship sank in 1794. What follows is an ever-morphing transmutation of dark societal truths within the bounds of a shipping container: a non-linear world across time and space that presents different tableaus of the enslaved silently suffering.

2020, Argentina, France

18 minutes (Parts 1 & 2 of a 4-part series)

Juana is 17 years old and wants to experience her “first time”. And her wheelchair certainly isn’t going to stop her. She’s just started at a new high school in Argentina and is a teenager like any other, except for the fact that she observes the world from a height of 4 feet. This project depicts Juana’s journey amid her sexual awakening, her quest to find her place in society and her political activism. Inspired by the experience of co-author and co-director Rosario Perazolo Masjoan, this experience explores body diversity, consensual sexuality and the pride that comes with finding one’s place in the world.

2021, UK

25 minutes

Through mind-bending animation, Goliath: Playing With Reality explores the limits of reality and a true story of so-called ‘schizophrenia’ and the power of gaming communities. Echo, narrated by Tilda Swinton, guides you through the many realities of Goliath, a man who spent years isolated in psychiatric institutions but finds connection in multiplayer games. Combining heartfelt dialogue, mesmerising visuals and symbolic interactions, weave through multiple worlds to uncover Goliath’s poignant story. Winner of the 2021 Grand Jury Prize, Venice Immersive, 78th Venice International Film Festival.

2022, UK

15 minutes (part 2 of a series)

The Light in the Shadow is the second part of the (Hi)story of a Painting VR series, exploring the human stories behind some of the world’s greatest art and artists. This episode uncovers the story of one of today’s most celebrated Baroque artists: Artemisia Gentileschi. We follow her extraordinary journey as she navigates a time and world where women have virtually no rights and are essentially men’s property and becomes one of Europe’s most celebrated and in-demand painters of her time. She painted herself into posterity within her own lifetime—this story is about how she rose up against the odds and impressed the whole of Europe with her talent, and how she continues to capture our imaginations today. Winner of the Special Jury Prize for Immersive Storytelling at SXSW 2022.

2022, UK

9 minutes

The remarkable true story of one aspirational parent’s groundbreaking journey through the adoption process in the United Kingdom. Syd, an aspirational parent who navigates the various stages of adoption, experiences first-hand the highs and lows of a dream shared by so many. After numerous close calls and more than 150 rejections, one child comes to the fore, a gender questioning child called Ollie. Eventually, Syd and Ollie’s relationship is solidified legally by the courts and the parent-child relationship is created—in one moment they are bonded and, in the process, redefine the meaning of the family in the United Kingdom forever.

2022, USA

15 minutes

Part one of an animated VR series reimagining fairy tales by showcasing lesser-known fables, mythology and folklore in a gender-inclusive experience. Inspired by the Brothers Grimm folktale, A Tale of the Boy Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was, the story follows Nyssa, a fearless yet naive young witch who leaves her whimsical village in order to find her best friend, a toy broom named...Broom. On the way, she meets a familiar spirit, Blue and together they travel into the depths of the dark migration. Can Nyssa learn the meaning of fear and intuition in time to save her village?

2022, UK

7 minutes

Single mum Lina and her daughter Priya have a close and playful bond that helps them navigate life without tearing each other apart. Lina has found a fair way to settle any debate, using the game Rock Paper Scissors. But all too soon Priya learns that sometimes life isn’t always like the playground.

Experience life through Priya’s young eyes and influence the story by playing Rock Paper Scissors against Mum, Lina. Looking back on Priya’s earliest memories, experience the joy of winning and the frustration of losing while learning how the realities of life play a part in this heart-warming coming of age drama.

2019, USA

20 minutes

Meet Anna. Anna doesn’t remember her past but she has vivid dreams about it. In every one of her dreams, there is a mysterious Key. Will you be able to unlock the mystery behind The Key without sacrificing too much? The Key is a magical realism experience that will take you on a journey through dreams, facing challenges and difficult decisions, leading to a shocking reveal.

Winner of the 2019 Grand Jury Prize, Venice Immersive, 76th Venice International Film Festival.

2022, Taiwan

35 minutes

Within the walls of the former Green Island prison political detainee A-Kuen, tells the stories of imprisonment and persecution that happened in 1950s Taiwan. Among fellow inmates, frozen in time, he recounts his own experiences and those of his friend, A-Ching, who never made it out. Experience the time and place, and the waiting, in hope, for a chance to keep the stories alive.

The Man Who Couldn’t Leave integrates the stories of numerous political victims of the White Terror and told through the form of an undelivered family letter. An immersive VR experience of hope, fear and camaraderie. Winner of the 2022 Grand Jury Prize, Venice Immersive, 79th Venice International Film Festival.

2019, UK

15 minutes

When Victoria Mapplebeck was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided to record each step of her journey from diagnosis to recovery. Seeing her cancer cells under the microscope inspired Mapplebeck to work with 3D artists to bring to life the medical imaging she collected through her treatment - CT scans, mammograms and ultrasound. The lynchpin of this VR piece, is a 9 min durational 360 take, a reconstruction of Victoria’s last session of radiotherapy, which marked the end of nine months of treatment. The Waiting Room explores illness from a patient’s POV and reminds the audience of the person behind the diagnosis. Winner of the 2019 IDFA Doclab Award for Digital Storytelling.

2020, USA

12 minutes

We Live Here introduces us to Rockey, a 59-year-old woman who has been living in a tent, in a park for almost three years. In this interactive VR experience you will be asked to interact with Rockey’s objects and through them learn of her life, her stories. You will come to understand you are not so different than Rockey. You will understand that even you, through a series of misfortunes, could find yourself like Rockey - homeless.