The White Dwarf in Thessaloniki International Film Festival, supported by Onassis Culture
Virtual Reality Interactive Installation
White Dwarf is an immersive 360° virtual reality experience. The research of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is dubbed as the “father of the atomic bomb” meets the real story of Sadako Sasaki, a little girl, victim of the Hiroshima bombing. Scientific developments and space exploration are juxtaposed with the little girl’s pledge for peace in the aftermath of World War II. Τhe macro and micro histories intertwine in a minimalist environment, while the voyage of cosmic memory throughout history evokes the freedom of light travel. The explosion of the atomic bomb resembles that of the death of a star in a supernova explosion; though, instead of restoring the cosmic equilibrium, it causes irrevocable damage on Earth.
The audience is challenged to participate in a holistic experience that extends the virtual into the physical world and vice versa. One becomes part of a scientific experiment that will change humanity forever.
"The white dwarf is a star that has exhausted its energy and dies silently, without exploding. What if the atomic bomb had met the same fate as a white dwarf? If, instead of wrecking havoc, it remained silent, locked in a room, only to become an exhibit in a future museum?
The “White Dwarf” is about the making of the first atomic bomb, under physicist Robert J. Oppenheimer’s guidance. The actual voice of this man, who found himself in a horrendous scientific quandary, features prominently in the VR experience. The atomic bomb he himself manufactured as a weapon against Nazism was finally used in a devastating way for humankind. As a matter of fact, when Oppenheimer attempted to oppose the widespread use of nuclear weapons, he was prosecuted for his democratic ideas.
Personally, I am staggered by the fact that the research studies conducted by astrophysicists to learn about our presence on Earth and the birth of the universe, those same studies fall in the hands of those who operate weapons of mass destruction.
We invite the audience to an immersive experience that blurs the lines between virtual and physical reality, the same way the lines that keep science away from political expediences are blurred.
We want the audience to become part of an experiment, to be confronted with the question of morality and the limitations of science. To “witness” a world-changing incident."
Yolanda Markopoulou
Directed by Yolanda Markopoulou
Performers: Eleana Kafkala, Ifigeneia Karamitrou, Nikos Kardonis, Chloe Livathinou, Thanos Tsakalidis
Screenplay: Yolanda Markopoulou, Markos Tsoumas
Director of Photography: Angelos Papadopoulos
Original Music / Sound Designer: Manolis Manousakis
3D Designer / Animation: Charis Laloussis
Production Designer & Creative Associate: Paris Mexis
Dramaturgy Consultant (Installation): Ioanna Valsamidou
Post Production Supervisor & Lighting Design (Installation): Michael Tebinka
Mix / Mastering: Konstantinos Stylianou
Technical Manager (Installation): Nikos Charalampidis
Production Manager: Vicky Strataki
Produced by POLYPLANITY Productions
With the financial support of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports