The SXSW festival took place earlier this month in Austin, Texas, with plenty of immersive 360-degree films and experiences for guests to enjoy. Today WITHIN has announced that one of those films, The Atomic Tree is now available via its virtual reality (VR) app.
The Atomic Tree is a ten-minute journey into the life of a very special tree – a 400-year-old Japanese White Pine bonsai that survived the atomic blast in Hiroshima. Adapted from David Haskell’s book The Songs of Trees, the short film was directed by Adam Loften and produced by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, the creators of award-winning VR experience Sanctuaries of Silence.
The synopsis explains that: “The Atomic Tree is a journey into the memories of one of the most revered trees in the world’s 400-year-old Japanese White Pine bonsai that witnessed and survived the atomic blast in Hiroshima. From Japan’s ancient cedar forests and Buddhist temples to the family home in Hiroshima where the pine was nurtured for five generations, this VR experience explores the unbroken chain of living stories held within the rings of this tree. The delicate shape of this bonsai contains sacred forests, human family, and deep time, inviting us to reflect on the living strands of kinship that are woven between human and non-human worlds.”
To view The Atomic Tree you can either watch it on the WITHIN website or download the free app which supports all major headsets, including Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and Google Daydream.
Founded in 2014, WITHIN creates, acquires, and distributes premium augmented reality (AR) and VR experiences, recently releasing a Fright Fest Collection for Halloween and AR app Wonderscope for new storytelling possibilities.
VRFocus will continue its coverage of WITHIN and the company’s latest content releases, updating you with the most recent announcements.