In the Current of Being

For the first time, the Immersive Competition will take place at the Carlton Hotel from May 14 to 23.

Why do you consider your film to be an experimental documentary ?

It blends poetic nonfiction with full-body haptics and voice-driven storytelling to explore identity, memory, and transformation—rooted in the real testimony of a woman who survived something nobody should be subjected to ever again. Viewers inhabit her body, feeling memory and emotion through the visceral power of touch.

How is your immersive piece similar to traditional cinema ?

It uses voiceover, pacing, and sound design to shape emotional tone, like a documentary short. There’s a clear arc and authorship—but instead of a screen, the story surrounds and envelops you. Meticulously crafted animation guides the story forward, establishing a sense of presence, both physically and emotionally.

Where does your immersive piece depart from traditional cinema?

Traditional cinema invites observation—you watch a character go through something. Our piece removes that distance—you don’t follow the story, you embody it. Full-body haptics turn memory into sensation, inviting you into another body to feel what they felt. It’s direct, visceral, and felt through the skin, not just the screen.

What role does the body play in this experience ?

We treated the body as a storytelling surface. Using haptic vibrations that travel across the skin, we mapped memory onto flesh—turning abstract emotion into physical sensation. These vibrations carry not only the pain and violence of conversion therapy, but also the defiance and resilience of a woman who didn’t just survive—she became her full, authentic self. Viewers feel her heart, her breath, and the quiet presence of another life lived through their own skin. This shared embodiment fosters a deeper solidarity—beyond identity, beyond language—because the body is universal, and it holds stories we’ve only just begun to tell.