Pieces
Medium: VR
Creator: Noam Karutchi
3D Modeling: Or Hadir
Sound Design: Dror H Shiman
"Pieces" is a virtual reality documentary. The story follows my mother, Ronit, as she revisits the kibbutz where she grew up. Together, we confront a deeply personal trauma: the loss of her mother, who died in a car accident when my mom was only 10 years old.
Set in the communal world of a 1960s kibbutz, where private grief was often overshadowed by collective life, "Pieces" explores the emotional challenges Ronit faced as a child and the lingering impact of those unprocessed emotions on her life.
Through the immersive medium of VR, the documentary creates a shared space for mother and daughter—a safe environment for revisiting memories and fostering connection.
The VR environment transforms the kibbutz into a dreamlike landscape, using fragmented memories, symbolic objects, and evocative soundscapes to evoke the emotional essence of the story. Rather than focusing on a literal recreation, the abstract design invites viewers to connect with the deeper emotional truth of Ronit's journey.
The title, "Pieces", reflects both the visual design and the thematic core of the project. Objects within the VR space are designed as if they are broken into pieces, dynamically assembling and reassembling throughout the experience. This visual metaphor mirrors the process of piecing together Ronit's story and her path toward understanding and healing.
The Work Process
Creating "Pieces" has been a multifaceted process, combining traditional documentary filmmaking with cutting-edge virtual reality techniques. The project's foundation began with an audio recording of my mom and me, followed by a 360-degree video shoot at the kibbutz where my mother grew up. This was a pivotal part of the process, as it allowed us to capture not only the physical space but also the atmosphere and emotional resonance of the environment.
Building the VR experience itself has been a deeply creative and technical endeavor. Using Unity as the primary platform, I designed the experience to reflect the fragmented and symbolic nature of memory. This process involved intricate C# scripting to create dynamic interactions, animations, and transitions that bring the abstract world to life.
The gaze interactions in "Pieces" are designed to go beyond traditional VR mechanics, serving as a storytelling tool rather than just a means of interaction. Wherever the player looks, their gaze becomes a catalyst for revelation, unlocking new memories, objects, or fragments of the story. This mechanic creates a sense of agency while fostering a deeper emotional connection to the narrative, as the act of looking mirrors the process of uncovering buried emotions and piecing together lost memories.
