Plato’s Cave

A contemporary adaptation of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. You are the prisoner and finally exiting your cave: into the world of virtual reality.

In 2017, I wrote a script for a 360° film that reimagined Plato's story as an allegory for the emerging medium of VR. For decades, we have been locked in the cave of the 2D screen, watching shadows within its rectangular frame. 360° cinema seemed to offer a fuller, deeper, more enlightened perspective of reality — a glimpse of what lies just outside Plato’s Cave.

I co-directed the experience with Hannah Seckendorf. Shot with the Google JUMP and edited in Final Cut Pro. The simple two-shot project was our first attempt at VR filmmaking—an experiment with telling a spherical story.

The film made it into the Official Selection of Ivy Film Festival's New Media section in Spring 2019.


Ancient Greek: ἀλήθεια (noun) (aa-lee-th-ee-aa) “truth”


Best experienced in a headset: Down

https://michaelbass.media/IMMERSIVE load link

Directed by Michael Bass and Hannah Seckendorf

Written by Michael Bass… and Plato

Starring Anabella Raye

Original Music by Dogmanjones

Thanks to Adam Blumenthal, Charlie Bares, Jeremy Roth-Rose, and Max Sternlicht

Shot with the Google Jump