“Bystanding: The Feingold Syndrome: Step outside your shoes: exploring the Bystander Effect through Virtual Reality” by Lev, Shapira and Yacoby

‘Bystanding: The Feingold Syndrome’ is an immersive interactive VR docufiction exploring the drowning and rescue of Israeli rowing champion Jasmine Feingold. In 2009, Feingold lost consciousness and capsized while rowing in Tel Aviv’s Ha’Yarkon River. She stayed submerged for nearly five minutes. During that time, none of the dozens of bystanders on the riverbank took any action to help her, until finally one person did.

Using novel techniques of volumetric capture, photogrammetry, animations, and 360º videos, ‘Bystanding’ recreates the incident and allows participants to embody bystanders’ points of view. Each point of view is represented as a wholly different memory, providing a glimpse into the individual’s stream of consciousness.