The Book Of Distance
Interactive Room-Scale VR Documentary Installation
User Experience Designer | National Film Board Of Canada
The Book of Distance offers an immersive, interactive VR experience that invites participants to step into the personal history of artist Randall Okita’s grandfather, Yonezo Okita, a Japanese immigrant to Canada who was unjustly imprisoned during World War II due to state-sanctioned racism. As an interactive room-scale VR experience, the project also charts Randall’s own voyage to discover long-lost familial connections at home and abroad.
The Book of Distance is currently available as a free virtual reality experience in English, French, and Japanese through Steam, Viveport, and Oculus.
Location-Based Exhibit
As the story unfolds, the participant engages with various interactive elements, such as revealing archival family photos and documents, and experiencing moments of physical action and emotional reflection.
The strategy for the installation was to surround the exhibit space with the real-world counterparts of these generational artifacts in the physical space as well.
By incorporating archival photographs and generational artifacts into the physical space helps deepen users’ emotional engagement by bridging the virtual and real worlds, making the experience feel more tangible and personal. By allowing visitors to interact with actual items from the Okita family and Canadian history before and after donning the VR headset, the experience becomes more immersive and meaningful, grounding the virtual journey in a physical context.
Room-Scale VR
My primary concern was helping to ensure that the experience balances emotional engagement with seamless, intuitive interaction. By employing Okita’s narration to guide the audience as they freely explored the environment, his direction served to construct new scenes in real-time like a director bringing a play to life, ensuring the user remained deeply connected to the narrative.
Through milestone reviews, I provided input on the pacing, user movement, and emotional beats that proved valuable in creating a flow that allowed the audience to absorb the historical context while staying connected to the personal journey of Okita’s family. Additionally, I contributed insights into how to craft interactive elements that enhance, rather than distract from, the emotional depth of the story.
Project Outcomes
- Winner of three major awards in 2021, including the Canadian Screen Award for Best Immersive Experience, Rocky Award for Interactive Youth (11-17) at the Banff International Media Festival, and a Webby Award for Best Narrative Experience – Virtual & Remote.
- In 2020, The Book Of Distance was the recipient of six awards, including the Japan Prize – Best Work in Digital Media, the Horizon Prize at the Festival du Nouveau Cinema de Montréal, and the Beyond The Frame Festival Award for VR Story.
- The Book Of Distance was invited as an official selection at several film festivals, including the Venice International Film Festival, Sundance, Tribeca, Cannes, Hot Docs, London Film Week, and the Ottawa International Animation Film Festival.