United Kingdom 2021, 91 min, English, Hebrew subtitles

The pandemic forced them into lockdown, but in cyberspace, they could still meet, dance, get to know new people, and even find romance. In this vérité documentary, filmed entirely in VRchat, the characters—Dust Bunny, DragonHeart, IsYourBoi, Toaster, and others—exist as avatars in a simulated universe. One has a tail, another shapeshifts parts of his body, a third teaches belly dancing, and yet another teaches sign language. They talk, dance, play pool, hang out at the pub, and even fall in love and get married. Director Joe Hunting enters their pixelated world and joins conversations about identity, otherness, the body and soul, long-distance love, mental health, and the physical world. In VR, anything is possible, and even if it seems like a fantasy, the people behind it—and their feelings—are very real.

Previous Festivals: Sundance, True/False, CPH:DOX, Docs Against Gravity

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Screening Schedule:
  • Sat 28.05 | 21:00 | Cinematheque 4
  • Fri 03.06 | 18:45 | Cinematheque 2
  • Watch Online | The film will be available From May 26th until June 5th

Joe Hunting began his journey capturing heartfelt portraits from VR in 2018, releasing his first award winning short film A Wider Screen in early 2019, at the age of 19. Whilst completing his film production degree in 2020, he shot and directed another award winning short doc and a comedy series titled Virtually Speaking filmed entirely inside VRChat, which both screened at festivals internationally. After graduating, Hunting has been shooting works in VR full time, alongside the year-long production of his debut feature documentary We Met in Virtual Reality.

Production: Charlotte Cook, Bryn Mooser, Kathryn Everett
Editing & Cinematography: Joe Hunting
Music: Perfume Genius, Julianna Barwick, Anna Meredith