Fly Away

virtual reality short / 6pp / 360 video / drama

An act of kindness from a stranger causes three lonely and isolated people’s spirits to soar, up into the sky.

The pitch

A short film intended to be viewed with a virtual reality (VR) headset.

A drama / magical realism story about 3 characters who each feel isolated from society, invisible to the world around them, lost and alone, each have reached their lowest point, falling to their knees... In this moment of despair, a simple act of kindness from a stranger causes their souls to soar, literally into the sky.

Viewed in the first person, we'll experience the sensation of being lost and alone in a busy city, being ignored, feeling helpless... We'll then see a hand of kindness offered from a stranger... a warm supportive smile. This act of compassion raises our spirits, lifting us back to our feet... but we keep on rising, lifting us off the ground to the amazement of the strangers around us until we're flying over their heads. Looking down on the faces looking up at us, we'll fly away over the city.

why?

Virtual Reality is an incredible tool for generating compassion and empathy, it can be a magical and moving experience.

Living in busy cities, people can become particularly blinkered to the world around them. But we are a community and no matter where someone comes from - whether geographically or socially - we need to watch out for one another. We all have difficult journeys through life, some much harder than others. My aim is to remind people to see the humanity in other people's eyes and be kind.

The reward in the case of this film is you get to fly, something many of us dream of. The reward, in reality, is your heart soars when you feel you've done something kind to help a stranger. Now more than ever before, we as a global community need to help one another however we can.