Self – understanding of otherness

How does a mentally ill feel? How does he perceive the world? Or maybe a division into people healthy and mentally ill doesn’t exist at all? For the makers the creation of film and photographic image has been accompanied by an attempt to understand and openness to the world of mental issues for years. When both of these worlds (film and the world of psychology) have the opportunity to meet and find understanding on an artistic level – ideas such as the SELF (dir. Patryk Jordanowicz, Tadeusz Chudy) project arise, to which the audience will be invited through the audiovisual medium of VR.
SELF, by definition, will be strong and sunk for the viewer in memory of immersion experience. And from experience, which is understood as experience, comes an understanding of otherness, while understanding creates tolerance. No other medium allows the viewer to participate in such a way through audiovisual means, but also above all in spatial terms – distance from the object, enclosure, open space, willingness to touch. Visual and sound stimuli of this project are just a path, a tool to generate emotions similar to those of people affected by mental illness. The creators want to callin the viewer a state of contemplation, melancholy and compassion. SELF addresses an extremely delicate topic, which is why we create it from the beginning with the participation of people dealing with mental health on a daily basis. VR technology is the most perfect way to transfer the viewer to the mind and body of a mentally ill person and is able to express all of assumptions most fully.

The SELF story concept is based on a mosaic structure. The presented stories are memories from different stages of the healing process of former patients, and their real-life silhouettes will be set in a minimalistic 3D environment. The retrospectives will materialize as voice-over commentaries, and the use of ambisonic sound will expose the properties of the category, which is cinematic VR.

Direction: Patryk Jordanowicz, Tadeusz Chudy
Screenplay: Patryk Jordanowicz
Pictures: Patryk Jordanowicz, Tadeusz Chudy

Starring: Kama Wodyńska, Anna Kierszniewska, Marzena Kopeć, Paweł Podgórski, Marzena Kopeć, Jan Regulski, Paweł RegulskiNarrator w wersji angielskiej: Marek Grochowski
Montage: Patryk Jordanowicz
Sound: Jakub Chojnacki, Dominika Pałka

Image post-production and VFX: Anna Giemzik, Przemysław Mastela
Color correction: Tadeusz Chudy

Sound post-production: Jakub Chojnacki

Voice-over studio: Maciej Dunin-Borkowski
Assistant Director: Dominika Pałka
Camera Assistant: Grzegorz Panek
Scenographic cooperation: Paulina Korwin-Kochanowska, Sylwia Śliwka
Makeup: Paula Wrzesińska
Costumes: Inga Sylwestrzak
Light: Michał Kałucki
Photos: Piotr Werewka
Making of: Marcin Polar, Tadeusz Chudy
Medical consultation: dr Krzysztof Walczewski
Production cooperation: Rafał Sakowski
Special thanks to Mr. Maciej Bobr – Spokesman of the Józef Babiński Clinical Hospital in Krakow
The film uses excerpts from Olga Hund’s book ‘Dogs of Minor Breeds’

Production: Szkoła Filmowa w Łodzi / vnLab / VR/AR studio
Managing producers: Krzysztof Franek, Krzysztof Pijarski
Creative producers: Pola Borkiewicz, Jacek Nagłowski (Pracownia VR/AR vnLab),
Executive Producer: Patryk Jordanowicz (Horizon Films)
Management of VR/AR vnLab: Pola Borkiewicz, Jacek Nagłowski
Coordination of artistic and research projects of the VR/AR vnLab Laboratory: Magdalena Wołowska
Organizational care: Katarzyna Boratyn
Administrative service: Dorota Schreiber, Małgorzata Czarnecka, Magda Kowalska, Magdalena Wołowska
Accounting service: Iwona Kopeć, Agata Arabska, Elżbieta Cota, Aneta Kulińska, Monika
Duraj, Dorota Czopczyńska, Magdalena Drzewiecka
Legal support: Monika Żelazowska, Monika Gromotowicz
Public finances: Maria Kowalska-Bieniek
Technical Support: Piotr Staruch
Managers of the vnLab Visual Narratives Laboratory: Krzysztof Franek & Krzysztof
Pijarski