Paris-based distributor Astrea has acquired international rights to the Venice VR title A Long Goodbye, directed by Kate Voet & Victor Maes. The animated, interactive film will celebrate its world premiere in of Venice Immersive competition. The 82nd Venice International Film Festival runs August 27 to September 6.
A Long Goodbye is produced by An Oost & Emmy Oost for Belgium’s Cassette for timescapes, and co-produced by Donato Rotunno for Luxembourg-based Tarantula and Richard Valk of Valk Productions in the Netherlands.
“A Long Goodbye tells the story of Ida, a 72-year-old pianist living with dementia,” outlines the synopsis. “In the animated, interactive VR experience, we walk in Ida’s shoes. We experience a day in her life, as her reality is fading. The apartment, where she spent a lifetime with her beloved husband Daniel, first feels empty and undefined. When we interact with objects and play the tape recordings of her husband, her playful world gradually comes to life, as if drawn in paint before our eyes.”
“Like pieces of a puzzle, memories and conversations help Ida to rediscover herself,” the synopsis continues. “But we also discover Daniel’s struggles, as he hopes to stay connected and realizes their remaining time together may be short. A Long Goodbye is a poetic experience about the impact of dementia, but above all it is about love and the long goodbye of two lovers who shared a life together.”
Directors Kate Voet & Victor Maes comment: “A Long Goodbye is at once a personal and a universal story about human connection. It serves as a reminder that people are always so much more than their illness. Instead of focusing on what is lost, we need to stay close and hold on to shared affection. We were drawn to this theme because of Victor’s grandfather who lived with Alzheimer’s disease, and whose health declined rapidly after Victor’s grandmother passed.”
“The experience of having witnessed this emotional transformation close-by, made us explore how dementia is experienced and how it influences the relationship with your past, with yourself and with your loved ones,” they continue. “When we put the VR headset on, the first questions that come to mind are: Who am I? And where am I? This confusion is exactly what our protagonist is dealing with and this became the starting point of the story.”
An Oost & Emmy Oost from Flemish company Cassette for timescapes add: “We are deeply drawn to stories that unfold through emotion, powerful storytelling and immersive form. After our rewarding journey with Astrea on Floating with Spirits by Juanita Onzaga (Venice immersive Competition 2023, Cannes Immersive 2025), we are delighted to renew this collaboration with A Long Goodbye. This poetic VR experience by Kate Voet and Victor Maes resonates with our mission to explore human connection through cinematic innovation. Through Ida’s fragmented reality, we invite viewers not only into the world of dementia, but also into the world of two lovers and the ache of slow parting. It’s an honour to premiere this work at Venice Immersive and we’re confident that, with Astrea’s guidance and vision, the journey of A Long Goodbye will continue to reach audiences in thoughtful and resonant ways around the world.”
A Long Goodbye received support from the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), Luxembourg Film Fund, Netherlands Film Fund, the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, The Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government, Pictanovo and deAuteurs.
