The Last Moments is an interactive docudrama VR film that allows the viewer to experience an assisted suicide for themselves and either end their life or carry on living.

Shot at Bristol Museum’s 2016 exhibition: ‘Death: the human experience’ in a replica of the room that they have at the Swiss Clinic at Dignitas Switzerland, the choice the viewer makes directly impacts the outcome of the film and also allows for choices to be polled to help spark debate on this sensitive issue.

Filmed in collaboration with The Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Punchdrunk Creative set designers, The Swiss Clinic Dignitas, Switzerland, Framestore Production Company London, Visyon production company, Barcelona, Grand Central Sound Studio, London.

“It’s success raises deep and difficult questions about ethics. Let’s hope everyone understands them as well as Furness.”

Rowland Manthorpe, Editor WIRED

Avril’s debut interactive 360 VR film was presented at New York’s Metropolitan Museum at their ‘In Our Time Symposium’: “The most exciting and critical spatial projects of 2017” The Metropolitan Museum, New York

It was also presented at THE WIRED LIVE, London, 2017 and went on to be nominated for ‘Best Director Award’ and ‘Most Immersive Award’ at Underwire and Encounters festival 2017 respectively.

In May 2016 the film was shown to medical specialists, PhD researchers and right to die groups at a Euthanasia conference in Amsterdam.

Insights: Harnessing the power of VR is a great ethical undertaking, especially when curating and handling delicate and sensitive subjects such as euthanasia.

In this interactive VR film the expression of embodied documentary and the emotive power of storytelling in 360 was explored.

“It’s that feeling and empathy that comes into play, they make that human to human connection through emotion.”

Serena Chowdry, Editor Reuters

‘That Dragon Cancer’ was a computer game about a Dad’s emotional journey in loosing his baby to Leukemia.  This was revolutionary to me.  Using different media to amplify a taboo narrative in unexpected channels was compelling.

 My boyfriend at the time had an Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2.  It was an intimidating -boxy looking thing with lots of wires.  I had wondered, how the hell do I make a film for that device?  What story can I tell and how can I direct a film in a 360 environment? What are the technical shenanigans and the creative implications for writing for this futuristic looking device?

I had written a short drama ‘Door to Door Euthanasia’ - a dystopian story set in a future where over-population meant that there was a government policy which enforced couples who were having a baby to sign up a relative or friend to have an assisted suicide - ‘a one in, one out policy’.  I met an Australian MP who told me about the laws in Australia which meant that people were travelling to Darwin to end their lives (as it was only in this state that permitted assisted suicide).  My research into this matter led me to discover an exhibition about Death at Bristol Museum.  It had an exact replica of the Swiss Euthanasia Clinic Dignitas room.  I was compelled to visit.  I sat on a sofa and listened to a directional speaker of a testimonial from an Australia gentleman who had visited Dignitas to end his life.  How can such a profound moment happen in this (Premier Inn looking) dull space?  And how could I bring this resoundingly visceral juxtaposition to an audience in a meaningful way?

I decided to make a 360 interactive film to demystify what the last moments of life looked like if you were to have an assisted suicide. 

My traditional 2D script ‘Door to Door Euthanasia’ had organically morphed into something more profound, by switching it to a different medium, but it also now had more power, as it was based on real life stories and human insights, and now had an interactive element to it. 

Giving ‘agency’ to the viewer in a virtual reality environment (allowing them to decide on how the film ended, whether they carried on living or died) was a huge step forward in my creative career, and my excitement grew around the potential of audience engagement and different levels of immersion.