Interview: Joe Hunting Talks HBO’s We Met in Virtual Reality and Misconceptions About Online Spaces
We Met in Virtual Reality takes its subject to the next level. The 91-minute documentary explores how relationships and communities were formed in the virtual world during the COVID-19 lockdown. In this movie, filmed entirely inside the world of virtual reality, director Joe Hunting takes viewers into these spaces.
“I hope people walk away from We Met in Virtual Reality, firstly, feeling enlightened about a new reality that they likely have never heard of before, and technology that can be really fun and engaging, while also connecting with stories that are extremely emotional,” says Hunting as he reflects on the message of the movie. “I hope viewers see the people that they're close with and hold them dear.”
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As the story plays on, viewers are introduced to a variety of avatars—and their experiences with love, loss, and mental health—and computer-generated worlds. The documentary had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival ahead of its release on HBO Max. In our interview with Hunting, we spoke about his film festival experience, inspirations behind We Met in Virtual Reality, misconceptions about virtual reality, the pushback he received for wanting to film in an online space, and more.
Game Rant: We Met in Virtual Realitypremiered at Sundance Film Festival before being released on HBO Max. Talk to me about your film festival circuit.
Joe Hunting: We showed at Sundance and then in Copenhagen and Baltimore, and at Calgary Film Festival. Most recently we went to the Sydney Film Festival. It was an absolute dream come true. I never thought we'd have such a great film tour. The most special part has been being able to celebrate with all the people in the film.
GR: How did the production
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