Eyes of Shame

Eyes of Shame is the continuation of the work and collaboration on the Killer, Penguin, Tom, Dollface project, working to prevent psychological and physical violence amongst teenagers. A virtual reality film by Tomas Tamosaitis and Emmanuel Rouglan, it is based on the personal story of Eyeless, a teenage patient at the Child Psychiatry Centre in Vilnius, Lithuania. She is the child of an unknown father and a schizophrenic mother, suffering from personality disorders and anorexia. When she was six years old, her mother committed suicide in front of her eyes. It was then that she began to hear voices.

The film aims to stimulate debate on one of the most pressing issues of our time – teenage behavioral and mental disorders. Using VR technology, the film puts the viewer in the shoes of a troubled 14-year-old teenager who is struggling with traumatic memories from the past alongside unbearable feelings of guilt and shame. Through the film, the viewer experiences her story of obsession, mutilation, and starvation through her own eyes.

The message of the film is one of understanding and inclusion for socially excluded teenagers, those who are hidden away in institutions such as the Child Psychiatric Development Centre in Vilnius, who are not accepted or understood by their families and society, and who often lack the confidence to move on with their lives.

SHINING A LIGHT ON THE ‘INVISIBLE’ KIDS – BRINGING EYELESS’ EXPERIENCE TO PUBLIC SPACES

In order to bring the film and the experience of Eyeless as close as possible to a wider audience, we will distribute it in open public spaces. We are creating a VR cinema installation (VR boot equipped with chairs and VR goggles) symbolically representing “The House” – a place where troubled teenagers live and receive treatment. The film will be available in public spaces in cities in Lithuania, France, and Slovenia. We intend to distribute the film in cooperation with local authorities, hoping to achieve a large reach and audience. These public screenings will be supported by a social media campaign, PR, personal promotion, and promotion of the host cities.

FESTIVAL PRESENTATIONS

Eyes of shame was one of 63 projects from around the world chosen from more than 240 submissions to be presented at this year’s Venice Gap-Financing Market, which took place from 2-4 September 2022 during the 79th Venice International Film Festival  (31 August-10 September 2022).

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Eyes of Shame is a trilateral co-production between JoniArt (Lithuania), INSOMNIAK (France) and the Institute for Transmedia Design. The project is co-financed by the Lithuanian Film Centre, Pictanovo (France) and the co-producers’ own funds.

• The film crew works closely with experts, psychiatrists, and psychologists throughout the production. •