The Man Who Couldn’t Leave
Dates
Tuesday 3 February - Monday 9 February
Screening daily | 10.30am, 12pm, 1.30pm and 3pm
Sessions | 45 mins
Standard | $15
Concession | $13
Members | $13
*This is a double feature, the session includes Passenger + The Man Who Couldn't Leave
Site access information
WA Museum Boola Bardip is fully accessible. Call 1300 134 081 for assistance. Accessible resources and programs >
Immerse yourself in powerful stories of resilience and justice
Enter a realm where art, science, and technology converge as WA Museum Boola Bardip’s Jubilee Hall transforms into a portal to the extraordinary through Biomass - an immersive gallery showcasing some of the most daring virtual reality and interactive installations from across the globe.
As part of this sensory journey, experience The Man Who Couldn't Leave, where you'll step inside the haunting memories of Taiwan’s White Terror era in an evocative 360° VR experience. Within the walls of the former Green Island prison, political detainee A-Kuen recounts stories of imprisonment and persecution from the 1950s - stories of hope, resilience, and sacrifice.
Through striking visual composition and powerful performances, this award-winning work immerses you in a time and place where ideals were tested and lives forever changed. It is a meditation on memory, justice, and the enduring need to keep these stories alive.
Double feature |The Man Who Couldn't Leave is experienced with Passenger. Sessions run daily for 45 mins: Passenger (7 mins), The Man Who Couldn't Move (31 mins).
Director Singing Chen
Producer: A-Ken
Awards: Kaohsiung XR Dreamland 2022 - VR 360 Award, Venice Immersive 2022 - Best Experience, New Images 2023 - Special cinematographic mention + Public Award
About the Artist
Singing CHEN's work encompasses fiction, documentary and VR films and has received numerous festival accolades. Her debut Bundled (2000) competed at Vancouver and God, Man, Dog (2007) screened at Berlinale, VIFF, HK, Busan and elsewhere. Chen's documentaries detail artistic practice and the environment. Through VR technology she explores space and movement. Her latest VR experience The Man Who Couldn't Leave (2022) won Venice Immersive Best Experience at 79th Venice International Film Festival. Her new project The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up has been selected for the 2023 Venice Gap-Financing Market, and she will also serve as the President of the Jury for the 80th Venice Immersive Competition. Chen's collective work is marked by a deep empathy for disenfranchised characters and a strong sense of social justice.
Presented as part of Biomass. See more ground-breaking works here.
