Step into the viewpoint of Jin Xuezhe, a Falun Gong practitioner in 1990s northeast China facing religious persecution. This indie VR documentary blends 360-degree live-action video, recorded testimony, and animations from illustrator Daxiong to recreate events like handing out leaflets and enduring police interrogation. A custom soundscape pairs with the optional Woojer haptic vest for added physical feedback.
The 12-minute free-to-play experience stands alone or complements the feature film. It delivers a focused interactive walk through real survivor accounts in Changchun. Viewers sensitive to trauma or with heart conditions should consult a doctor first.
“ETERNAL SPRING (長春) VR” is an animated virtual reality documentary that brings us inside the world of a real-life survivor of religious persecution in China.
This immersive, 360 accompaniment to the feature film Eternal Spring (Hot Docs winner and Canada’s official 2023 Oscar® submission) features original recorded testimony and vivid artwork from acclaimed Chinese illustrator Daxiong (Star Wars, Justice League comics), brought to life in animation. A custom soundscape enhances the immersion when experienced with the Woojer haptic vest (optional).
WALK A MILE IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES
Put yourself in the shoes of someone facing religious persecution in China. In mid-nineties northeast China, Jin Xuezhe is drawn to the slow-moving exercises of the Buddhist Falun Gong discipline, whose early morning meditators fill the parks of his hometown, Changchun. When the communist regime bans the popular practice in 1999, Jin is unwilling to sit by as disinformation in the state media maligns his faith and community. Tragically, however, speaking out against the growing propaganda and disappearances brings the risk of arrest, and worse.
This 12-minute interactive documentary combines live-action video and original recorded testimony with animated recreations brought to life from the drawings of acclaimed comic book artist Daxiong (Star Wars, Justice League), who, like Jin, was forced to flee Changchun to escape persecution.
This interactive VR film features a custom soundscape to trigger haptic sensations delivered through the new Woojer Vest (optional), which heightens the experience as cops arrest you on the street for handing out leaflets, and you get to feel the heart-pounding tension of a police interrogation in China.
ETERNAL SPRING (長春) VR works as a standalone experience, while also adding a new dimension to the animated documentary feature ETERNAL SPRING (長春), which was Canada’s official submission to the 2023 Academy Awards® for Best International Feature Film. Eternal Spring has screened in 86 film festivals on six continents, inside multiple national parliaments, and earned 26 awards and another 25 nominations. (See the film now on VICE, CBC, Arte, and others–visit Eternal Spring Film site for more information.)
USER WARNING If you suffer from heart conditions, have experienced related trauma, or are severely affected by real-world traumatic events, you may wish to speak first with your medical professional before engaging in this experience.
