ECHOS OF
ASH VALLEY

VR / Immersive Installation - 17’ (USA / Canada) - 2024

 

Out of Competition - Venice International Film Festival / Venice Immersive 2024

 

Synopsis

In a decaying industrial utopia fueled by the extraction of oil, Alexi, a former surveillance operator, revisits the ruins of his past life while unraveling the mysteries of a strange signal from outer space. As users explore the stark, snowy landscapes and crumbling structures of Ash Valley, we uncover fragments of Alexi’s memories, his struggles with an oppressive regime, his fractured relationship with his wife, his ideological pursuits, and the haunting consequences of his actions. Haunted by an ever-present strange signal he picks up from outer space, Alexi’s perception of reality begins to blur. The signal weaves through his consciousness, conjuring visions that intertwine the decay of his world with ethereal apparitions. As users navigate these shifting landscapes, we witness Alexi’s journey towards liberation, redemption, and a glimmer of hope amidst the haunting echoes of his past.

 

Director Statement

The core of the project is about freedom—both its presence and absence. The chains that keep us from freedom are multi-layered, not just from the obvious repressive societal confines, or our roles within, but also from the deeper, more personal shackles of guilt, regret, unacknowledged truths, unrecognized power within ourselves, in a system that mutes us. Alexi’s odyssey through the surreal landscape of his conscience and consciousness, brought upon by the cosmic signal, becomes a metaphor for the universal quest for souls’ liberation. We often lose our true selves in systems that feed from self-sacrifices. It is through the acceptance and confrontation of our actions and inactions that we find our true agency and, furthermore, our own path to freedom.

 

Production Company

Ash Valley Co. / Seemingly Virtual / Motomo Studio

 

Developed thanks Biennale College Cinema - Immersive