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Shorts 7: Doc Shorts – Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground
September 1, 2024 @ 6:37 pm – 6:59 pm EDT
World Premiere
In the metaverse social platform called VR CHAT, players have built a society of their own that re-creates everything of real life. The filmmaker engages himself in a quest to understand what’s the appeal of having this ‘second life’.
Director/Writer: César Oyarzabal
Producer: Yiweng Qian
Cinematographer: Yinan Shi
2024 | 22 mins | US | Color | 🏆✏️🌍 | Documentary, Mental Health, Technology
The filmmaker is expected to be present at this screening for a post-film discussion.
Screening in Theater #3
Other films in this program include:
- Churchill’s
- Patient
- The Stage
- Bob’s Funeral
About the Filmmaker
César Oyarzabal is a young French filmmaker who recently graduated from NYU Tisch in Film & TV. Born to cinephile parents, including a stage and screen actor father, César’s upbringing between France, China, and the US has enriched his cinematic sensibilities. César has directed over 35 short films, the most recent of which, RUNAWAY, has been selected at the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, Beverly Hills Film Festival, New York Short Film Festival, among others. His documentaries have taken him to France, Spain, Morocco, the United States, and now also to the metaverse. César currently works as an editor in New York City.
Director’s Statement
When I first dove into the metaverse I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that these weird avatars in front of me were actually normal people like you and I. This film is about peeling back the layers to reveal the humanity behind the avatars. However, VR communities are inherently defensive and that wasn’t easy. My question is “What is going on on an emotional level for these people to need VR in order to express themselves fully?”. In giving voice to a select few, I aimed to show that their stories represent, to a significant extent, the entire VR community. Their honesty, humanity, and earnestness resonate not only within virtual realms but also with people like me, bridging the gap between worlds. Above all, this film is an invitation—to experience the laughter, the camaraderie, and the shared humanity that transcends virtual boundaries.