Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Joe Hunting
The aptly titled documentary short film “The Reality of Hope” highlights the incredible reach of human kindness, community, and possibility.
The film, primarily filmed inside virtual reality, opens by welcoming us to Furality, a virtual world and haven for like-minded people created by virtual reality creator and music composer, Hiyu, who was diagnosed with kidney failure at the age of 28. Hiyu guides viewers through the colorful and meticulous world he has created, introducing several members of the virtual community that have connected with Hiyu as they express their joy at the freedom Hiyu’s VR world gives them to explore and connect with their community from all over the planet in a virtual world all their own.
Filled with touching moments from a passionate community comes a story about true friendship and hope that has formed in this unique virtual space. When Hiyu learns that his kidneys are failing and that he will need dialysis, he returns to his virtual safe space to find comfort in his community. In an incredible and unexpected moment of what must feel like virtual unreality, he is approached by fellow community member Photographotter, who offers his kidney to save Hiyu’s life.
Followed by a sweet transition from VR avatars to the people behind them, viewers meet Hiyu in real life, going through self-dialysis in Sweden, and Photographotter, who travels from New York to donate his kidney to his friend who, up until this point, he’d only interacted with in VR. Sharing personal and lighthearted insights as the pair prepare for the upcoming surgery date, we take a closer look at Hiyu’s health, his journey through self-dialysis, and what finding a donor in a virtual world he created means to him. Hiyu even shares this virtual world with the amazing nurses at the clinic.
As I watched “The Reality of Hope,” I thought of my late husband, who passed away at the end of 2019. At just 31 years of age, he was not much older than Hiyu. Like Hiyu, he also was going through kidney failure and dialysis treatments. I’ve lived the reality of desperately searching for a donor to save somebody I love; it is nothing short of a miracle to find an eligible donor and one of the greatest, most selfless acts a person can do for somebody else. This is what makes “The Reality of Hope” so special. It captures that miracle in progress, a real miracle created by a human moment in virtual reality that takes Hiyu’s life from kidney failure and dialysis to transplant and recovery, a truly heartwarming story of how a real friendship formed in a virtual world created a miracle that saved a life.
“The Reality of Hope” is an enlightening testament to human kindness, meaningful connections and how the friendships formed in a virtual space are still very much real. Through his storytelling, Director Joe Hunting opens the mind to more opportunities and possibilities in our own searches to connect and find community.
“This story emerged from my friend Max who pitched to me to help make this film, and I felt an immediate excitement to share how meaningful connections can form in VR to then impact our lives physically, alongside raising awareness around dialysis and kidney failure in young people,” Hunting said in a Meet the Artist video with Sundance. “Ultimately, this is a film about human kindness, resilience, and the value of friendship.”
“The Reality of Hope” is screening at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival as part of the Documentary Short Film Program. In addition to screening in both Park City and Salt Lake City, this film is available online.
