We all know how virtual reality (VR) can take users to new places, give them new perspectives, and brand new experiences. We’ve seen VR film projects and documentaries that want us to understand the plight of deprived areas, and we’ve seen VR apps show us the impact of climate change. Now, a new documentary wants to put people in the shoes of women who are going through an abortion.
Abortion is still an incredibly sensitive subject in many areas of the world, and often those opposed to abortion have little to no understanding of the mental and physical exhaustion these women go through. As such, the new VR documentary, now on Kickstarter, seeks to make a wider audience understanding of what women must go through, and why the choice is so important for so many reasons.
The documentary is titled The Choice, and will take viewers into a woman’s body as they experience the panic of realising they have an unwanted pregnancy. The documentary will introduce viewers to real women, who will talk about their experiences, their emotions, and the difficult choices they had to make.
VR was chosen as the medium for the documentary as they wanted to make users feel like a part of the world, a part of the woman’s life, and as if the decision was also yours. Traditional media can make you view the story of another, but so rarely can they make that story yours, too. VR’s potential for empathy is paralleled, thus the choice to make the documentary for VR devices.
After all, this documentary isn’t about making a splash on the world’s stage, but is instead about compassion. Compassion for others, women, and those that are suffering, especially if invisibly. The Kickstarter reads; “Compassion is necessary, especially in light of the fact that half of the society cannot personally imagine how it is to make this choice. Men do not ever expect to become pregnant. We want them to be equal and supportive partners in this debate and so we need them to understand even just a fraction of how it would feel to be in this situation. We want The Choice to be the tool that gives them the opportunity to gain this perspective so they can understand why women make this decision.”
You should look at the Kickstarter for The Choice right here, and donate if you feel you wish to support a good cause. When you’re able to watch The Choice, we’ll let you know, so keep reading VRFocus.