OFFICIAL SELECTION TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2021

Critical Distance, a social augmented reality (AR) experience, brings audiences into the world of Southern Resident Orcas. Seen through the eyes of Kiki – a five-year-old orca who carries the fate of her pod on her shoulders – Critical Distance tells the story of Kiki and her J-Pod, a group of 22 endangered orcas, who along with Kiki venture through and survive in the Salish Sea.  

Harnessing the power of Microsoft’s latest evolutionary leap in AR wearable technology – the HoloLens 2 – audiences will connect with the close-knit family and experience the daily perils facing the endangered group.   

This groundbreaking social augmented reality experience will empower audiences to ‘see sound’ and experience Kiki’s world of echolocation – and how human activity disrupts it. While the J Pod’s fate remains uncertain, the experience ends with hope, championing a path towards a positive near future and what we must do to better protect Kiki, her family, and the underwater world she calls home.