Talking Mimes

FYI: This is NOT a game (as the description says) but an educational experience into the lives of people with disabilities. I went into it knowing almost nothing about how people with disabilities are treated. It was confronting to know that everything that happens in the video are real experiences and things disabled people have to deal with daily. I’d encourage anyone who cares about other people to strap themselves to a chair and watch this with an open mind. Pair it with the workshop too if you can.

Not a game just a video with terrible acting. Should’ve just been put on YouTube

Talking Mimes is one of the most impactful pieces of virtual reality that I have seen in a while. It tackles one of the most difficult subjects when it comes to disability and healthcare. The experiences of people who do not communicate conventionally as they navigate daily boredom and truly life-threatening situations. The power of this experience comes from your ability to become connected with this person’s frustrations and fatigue. Everything from the well meaning but slightly clueless caregiver to the indignity of junior doctors not understanding the impact of basic communication.

What could be a truly heart-breaking scenario is given a thread of hope by the idea that communication is possible given the right set of circumstances. This is ably demonstrated in the ongoing metaphor of the mime. We are given a unique sense of both the restriction and possibility for communication in all its forms across multiple interaction plans, from children to long-term caregivers.

The technical care that was put into every detail into Talking Mimes is excellent. I hope that the developers have the opportunity to take this concept further. Either as the complete product that it is or expanding it into further scenarios. It would be awesome to see this become part of a wider education setting for either kids or healthcare professionals. Thank you for the opportunity to have such talk-provoking connections.

This is a clear critique of the medical model of disability, as the central character’s real problem is the treatment they receive from others, not their disability. From small frustrations of agency, to life threatening gaps in carer education, this experience packs a lot of important information and emotion into the short narrative. After experiencing Talking Mimes my first thoughts were around its usefulness in educating everyone working with disabled people, but it is also a film that should just be experienced by everyone as it does such a good job of raising awareness of a spectrum of human experience that is not often represented. The VR aspect of the work increasing its impact significantly. Long story short this is a powerful piece of art and a powerful tool for creating/enhancing empathy, and consciousness raising.

This experience combined with the workshop has changed my perspective and given me deeper insight into the treatment and experiences of disability I wouldn’t have otherwise had. Knowing it was based on real experiences made it tough in places, but I still enjoyed it and I’m grateful for the broadening of my understanding.

So I don't know what happened. But I fell in love with the curly haired caretaker lady.