In 1983, author, teacher, and theologian John Hull (1935-2015) went blind after years of declining vision. He kept an audio diary during this turbulent period of his life. Over the course of three years, he recorded more than 16 hours of material documenting his journey into a world beyond sight—a testimony to loss, rebirth, and renewal, in which he explores the deepest recesses of the inner world of being blind.
This diary was previously published in book form under the title Touching the Rock. It became a multimedia project consisting of a short film, a documentary, virtual reality experience, and now also fulldome experience. The award-winning project allows us to “see” how we can experience the world without images, emotionally and cognitively, in a marvelous way. Each chapters focuses on one of Hull’s specific memories or experiences: from a day in the park to a liberating thunderstorm, making use of game technology, animation, and sound design.
Notes on Blindness: Into Darkness is widely regarded as a landmark in virtual reality storytelling. First presented at IDFA DocLab in 2016, it can now be experienced again as part of the Archive Arcade, alongside this world premiere of its fulldome adaptation.
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