“Echoes After the Last Breath: A Gamified Gaze-Driven VR Near-Death Experience” is an immersive interactive experience that explores memory and emotional resonance through spatial storytelling and sensory interaction. Presented within the context of emerging immersive cinema and interactive media, the work invited audiences to engage with the experience in a personal and reflective way.
The “Boundless ∞ Immersive Unit” is one of BJIFF’s major immersive sections, focusing on VR, AR, MR, installation art, and spatial media experiences from around the world. Under this year’s curatorial theme, “Entering Cinema Through Play”, the exhibition explored how audiences can experience storytelling beyond the traditional screen through interaction, embodiment, and participation.
Weigan and Yimeng said: ‘During the exhibition, we had the opportunity to connect with many other immersive media creators and projects, exchanging ideas about storytelling, technology, and audience experience. We were also very happy to see so many visitors engage with our project. The audience shared a great deal of thoughtful feedback, encouraging responses, and useful suggestions for future improvements, which were incredibly valuable for us as creators and researchers. This experience was a wonderful opportunity for our team, and we are especially proud that the work of PhD students from the University of Southampton could be presented to a wider international audience through the Beijing International Film Festival.’