The cast and crew of the new documentary The Reality of Hope gather on the virtual couches of a Furality map to grant me an interview in VR.
It’s a mix of different avatars facing me: a sunny-looking human, an otter wearing a green button-up shirt and brown jacket, a more fantastical furry wearing a scarf and coat, and a sleek, taller canine-like being with large ears and a long tail.
“How has your friendship changed between the donation, before and after?” I ask.
The fantastical winged furry and the suited otter exchange glances–they’re who I’m speaking to. Hiyu is the name of both. Otter, the American donor who flew from America to Sweden in order to save Hiyu’s kidney from failure, took the plane. The brief pause before their answer is heavy with the knowledge of everything they’ve been through.
“We’ve definitely gotten a lot closer,” says Otter.
And then they start chuckling.
Hiyu joins in with laughter:
“Yeah. The Reality of Hope
tells the story of Hiyu’s and Photographotter’s journey. This documentary examines their dynamic as well as how they deal with the difficulties of travelling half way around the globe to perform the surgery. Through each obstacle presented, the two friends are buoyed by the VR community and each other.Joining their journey is director Joe Hunting and producer MaxFilms. Hunting captured the
of We Met in Virtual RealityVR stories of friendship by 2022. Sundance selected his latest effort, which was a result of filming online and off-line connections. Hiyu and Photographotter are able to cross boundaries in the documentary and show themselves as they truly are. “As Photographotter flew from New York, to Stockholm, the transition to reality was important to us in creating themes of the film and a dramatic entry point into that world.”From left to right: Joe Hunting, Photographotter, Hiyu, MaxFilms. It was important for us to make the transition between VR and real life in order to create the theme of the movie and to have a dramatic entrance into the world. “From Left to Right: Joe Hunting (left), Photographotter (right), and MaxFilms.
Ultimately, it is a tale about saving someone from death through an online connection. What led to the creation of a documentary that illuminated such an experience? In 2018, he received a kidney diagnosis after what he believed was an ordinary check-up. It was not until 2022 that the problem became more serious. His kidney had failed and he would need a new one. Hiyu told his friends about the situation and was worried that he would never be able to find a kidney donor. Photographotter, who didn’t know Hiyu but was certain he wanted to be the donor, sent out a message as soon as news of Hiyu’s dilemma spread. Otter said, “I just knew that I would have to.” It wasn’t an easy thing to make happen. It wasn’t easy to make it happen. They had to pay for travel and raise money for the surgery. Hiyu’s and Otter’s friends helped keep Hiyu in shape and motivated with encouraging words. There were times of doubt and pain for Hiyu as his kidney deteriorated. MaxFilms became involved when Otter started a YouTube Channel to document the journey. Max explained that Otter was at Hiyu’s house and was recording his video diary. I helped him because his computer was not up to the task. So I helped out and during those video diaries I realized Otto was good on camera.”
Hunting, Photographotter, Hiyu, and MaxFilms discuss the documentary.
First, he approached the machine as a creator: “The work Rob
did on the machine is top tier hard surface modeling work. I’m also a 3D modeler and this is what I could hope to achieve given the amount of time.”
Then his reflections became more personal.
“It’s really weird being in here for how accurate it is.”
It’s an understatement. It’s like being in a real hospital. It is easy to see the texture of worn tiles, white walls and the sanitized feeling of a hospital. Hiyu continues. The strange thing was that I didn’t even feel as if I were back in
, thankfully. But it was still very odd.”
“We went through hell with each other,” Otter said. Otter says, “We went through hell together. We waited and feared so much. We went through a lot together and that’s not something that just fades into the background.”
The Reality of Hope
, Hiyu and Otter’s friendship comes into sharp focus. When things look dire, they use humor and camaraderie to get through. Otter gives Hiyu a free drink at one stage while his friend is enduring the dialysis. He grins and says, “I’ve brought you coffee –and a kidney.” But you have to wait on that one.”
At the end of the interview, MaxFilms and Hunting break away to make adjustments on their menus and attend to business. Otter and Hiyu were still standing at the edge, with their enthusiasm increasing. “Put that in the article!” They exclaimed.
The Reality Of Hope premieres June 8 on DOCUMENTARY+.