Filmmaker Victoria Bousis is showing the industry how to use technology to bring a more human approach to storytelling.
That’s what the director has achieved with her immersive documentary Stay Alive My Son, which allows viewers to live part of the life story of its subject, Cambodian refugee and human rights activist Pin Yathay.
Made using Cineplay—a mix of cinema with gameplay mechanics—the project can be viewed on headsets, devices, screens, and physical spaces.
Acclaimed at the world’s leading film festivals as compassionate and clever, Stay Alive My Son was also selected by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to screen for diplomats, NGO bigwigs, and heads of state in a bid to shape global policy.
Is this a film or a video game or something entirely new? That’s for the audience to decide. But it’s unforgettable and could well move the industry forward.
SANDRO MONETTI