Walking Alone, Text You When I’m Home

IDFA DocLab Competition for Immersive Non-Fiction

From annoying wolf whistles in the street to unwanted touches in a tram or bar: these are experiences familiar to many women. But not all men mean harm, and sometimes a situation only seems dangerous. Why is this?

This immersive, contemplative VR documentary places a young woman, the narrator, at various events and locations where she has felt unsafe. As a user, you experience the scenes as an invisible voyeur. At the same time, in the middle of the lifelike 360-degree sets, you also feel a bit like a participant. At an uncomfortably close distance, you follow the sexually suggestive comments and unsolicited advances the young woman experiences.

Meanwhile, the narrator philosophizes about direct threats, and also about the ambiguity of certain situations. Was it only scary because of the darkness? Or because she had been taught from an early age to be careful on the street? Finally, users will find themselves alone in a dimly lit, remote place. How does that feel to you?