Goliath: Playing with Reality

A 25-minute animated VR experience about schizophrenia, gaming and connection

“The Universe is revolving around me in a bad way.”

Through mind-bending animation, award-winning, GOLIATH: PLAYING WITH REALITY explores the limits of reality in this true story of so-called ‘schizophrenia’ and the power of gaming communities.

Echo (narrated by Tilda Swinton) guides you through the many realities of Goliath, a man who spent years isolated in psychiatric institutions but finds connection in multiplayer games.

Combining heart-felt dialogue, mesmerising visuals and symbolic interactions, weave through multiple worlds to uncover Goliath’s poignant story.

“The best of the SXSW 2022 line-up”
The Times
"[...] poignant narration from Tilda Swinton and a thoughtful take on the benefits of gaming communities anchor a worthwhile experience you’ll benefit from watching."
UploadVR
"A hit on the European circuit last fall, “Goliath” made its North American debut at SXSW, and it was worth the wait."
IndieWire

Download GOLIATH: PLAYING WITH REALITY on Meta Quest for free here

Visit goliathvr.io to learn more

Gallery

Events

Upcoming
No events scheduled.
September 2024
Screenings
Shoreditch Town Hall
London, United Kingdom
August 2024
Screenings
Sheffield Film Festival
Sheffield, United Kingdom
November 2023
Screenings
Belfast XR Festival
Belfast, United Kingdom
October 2023
Screenings
Dreamy Place Festival – Brighton
Brighton, United Kingdom
October 2023
Screenings
Dreamy Place Festival – Crawley
Crawley, United Kingdom
September - October 2023
Screenings
Vilnius Documentary Film Festival
Vilnius, Lithuania
August 2023
Screenings
GIFF Unlimited @ Locarno Film Festival
Locarno, Switzerland
May 2023
Screenings
Boca del Lupo presents VR Salon
Vancouver, Canada
May 2023
Screenings
Millennium Docs Against Gravity Film Festival
Warsaw, Poland
May 2023
Workshop
Anagram presents a 2-day Immersive Storytelling Lab
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
April 2023
Screenings
L.E.V. Festival
Gijón, Spain
March - September 2023
Screenings
Schuur Cinema (Part of the Nu:Reality programme)
Haarlem, The Netherlands
March - September 2023
Screenings
LUX Cinema (Part of the Nu:Reality programme)
Nijmegen, The Netherlands
March - September 2023
Screenings
LantarenVenster Cinema (Part of the Nu:Reality programme)
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
November 2022
Screenings
Leeds International Film Festival
Leeds, United Kingdom
October 2022
Talks
VR Talk at the Bolton International Film Festival
The Hive Gallery, Bolton
October 2022
Screenings
Bolton International Film Festival
Bolton, United Kingdom
September - October 2022
Screenings
BOCS @ Wales Millennium Centre
Cardiff, Wales
September 2022
Screenings
Animatex Film Festival
Cairo, Egypt
September 2022
Screenings
L.E.V. Festival
Madrid, Spain
August 2022
Screenings
LINK Festival
Oviedo, Spain
August 2022
Screenings
SIGGRAPH
Vancouver, Canada
July 2022
Screenings
Guanajuato International Film Festival
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
July 2022
Talks
Games For Change Festival presents “Goliath”
Virtual
July 2022
Talks
Games For Change Festival presents “Everything You Feel Is Real”
Microsoft Technology Center, New York
July 2022
Screenings
Games For Change Festival
New York, USA
July 2022
Screenings
Best International Games Festival
São Paulo, Brazil
June - October 2022
Screenings
Pathway 3: Horizons VR at PHI Centre
Montreal, Canada
June - July 2022
Screenings
Doc Edge Festival (Wellington)
Wellington, New Zealand
June 2022
Screenings
Doc Edge Festival (Auckland)
Auckland, New Zealand
June 2022
Screenings
Annecy Festival
Annecy, France
June 2022
Screenings
Tribeca Film Festival
New York, USA
May 2022
Talks
BFI Expanded presents ‘Playing with Reality’ Screening & Panel Discussion
London, UK
May 2022
Screenings
BFI Southbank (UK PREMIERE)
London, UK
May 2022
Screenings
International Festival of Animated Films
Třeboň, Czech Republic
March 2022
Screenings
One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival
Czech Republic
March 2022
Screenings
South by Southwest (SXSW)
Austin, USA
March 2022
Screenings
Luxembourg City Film Festival
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
February 2022
Screenings
Electric Dreams @ Adelaide Fringe Festival
Electric Dreams @ Adelaide Fringe Festival
January - February 2022
Screenings
Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival
Clermont-Ferrand, France
January - February 2022
Screenings
Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival
Clermont-Ferrand, France
January 2022
Screenings
Sundance Film Festival
Park City, USA
January - September 2023
Exhibition
transformé at OASIS immersion
Montreal, Canada
January 2022
Screenings
International Documentary Festival – FIPADOC Edition
Biarritz, France
December 2021
Screenings
Red Sea Film Festival
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
December 2021
Screenings
FilmGate Miami
Miami, USA
November 2021
Screenings
Qld XR Festival
Brisbane, Australia
November 2021
Screenings
International Documentary Film Festival
Amsterdam, Netherlands
November 2021
Screenings
Geneva International Film Festival
Geneva, Switzerland
October 2021
Screenings
Kaohsiung Film Festival
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
October 2021
Screenings
Sandbox Film Festival
Beijing, China
September 2021
Screenings
Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival
Strasbourg, France
September 2021
Screenings
Venice International Film Festival
Venice, Italy
June 2021
Screenings
Montréal Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
Montréal, Canada

Awards

2023

SILBERSALZ Science & Media Awards - Immersive Science

, 2022

EMMY (The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) - Outstanding Interactive Media: Innovation (Nominated)

, 2022

Bolton International Film Festival - Best VR/360

, 2022

Guanajuato International Film Festival - Best Use of Virtual Reality

, 2022

Brazil's Independent Games Festival - Best XR/VR

, 2022

Annecy Festival - VR Work (Jury Distinction)

, 2022

PRIX NUMIX - Best XR International Documentary

, 2022

Luxembourg Film Festival - VR Award

, 2022

Adelaide Fringe Festival - BankSA Best Film & Digital, Interactive Award

, 2021

Red Sea: Immersive - Golden Yusr Immersive Award (Nominated)

, 2021

FilmGate Miami - Best of Festival Project

, 2021

Geneva International Film Festival - International Immersive (Nominated)

, 2021

Festival du Nouveau Cinema - VR competition (Nominated)

, 2021

The 78th Venice International Film Festival - Grand Jury Prize for Best VR Work

Team

Created & Produced by

Anagram

Co-Produced by

Floréal

Supported by

Oculus VR for Good, the British Film Institute awarding funds from the National Lottery, Creative XR, Digital Catapult, the Arts Council England, CNC, and StoryFutures Academy.

Developed thanks to La Biennale di Venezia - Biennale College Cinema VR

Credits

Narrated by

Tilda Swinton

Written & Directed by

May Abdalla & Barry Gene Murphy

Thanks to Goliath for sharing his story

See full credit list on Goliath website

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Studio

96 Teesdale Street
London E2 6PU

In Residence

Pervasive Media Studio
Watershed, 1 Canons Road
Bristol BS1 5TX
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