‘Bystanding: The Feingold Syndrome’ is an immersive interactive VR docufiction exploring the drowning and rescue of Israeli rowing champion Jasmine Finegold. In 2009, Feingold lost consciousness and capsized while rowing in Tel Aviv’s Ha’Yarkon River. Jasmine stayed submerged for four and a half minutes. During that time, none of the dozens of spectators and passersby on the riverbank took any action to help her, until finally, one person did.

Using novel techniques of volumetric capture, photogrammetry, animations, and 360 videos, ‘Bystanding’ recreates the capsize and drowning of Israeli kayaking champion Jasmine Feingold in Tel Aviv’s River in 2009. Like a Rashomon, It allows participants to experience bystanders’ points of view and testimonies from that day. Participants are being transported to the park for 4.5 minutes, the time Jasmine spent underwater, in which they can literally step into bystander’s bodies to witness their inner thoughts and deepest confessions.

Using novel techniques of volumetric capture, photogrammetry, animations, and 360º videos, ‘Bystanding’ allows participants to embody bystanders’ point of view, listen to their thoughts and witness their deepest confessions from that day. Each bystander confession is experienced as a totally different memory from that day, providing a glimpse to this person’s “stream of consciousness”.

‘Bystanding’ generates a strong memory for participants, and aims to raise questions about our responsibilities towards people in distress, and specifically deals with “the bystander effect”.

The experience was created by Nim Shapira (Director) and Roi Lev (Creative Producer). It is co-produced with German studio AnotherWorld VR (Max Sacker and Ioulia Isserlis) and Canadian studio KngFu.

‘Bystanding’ is supported by the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (MBB), KAN (the Israeli public broadcaster), Mifal HaPais Council for the Culture and Arts, Gesher Multicultural Film Fund, and the Makor Foundation for Israeli Film and Television.