Namoo (meaning “tree” in Korean), is a narrative poem come to life as an animated virtual reality experience created with Oculus’s VR animation tool “Quill.” The project is led by esteemed Korean director Erick Oh (who won Annecy’s Cristal Award for TV for The Dam Keeper Poems with Tonko House).

Namoo is an ode inspired by Erick’s grandfather’s death; The narrative follows the journey of a man from his birth up until the end of his life. As a young man, he falls in love with painting and as an adult, he falls in love with another person for the first time. But not all love lasts forever, and he eventually finds himself a broken man who puts a band-aid -- literally -- on his past woes and disappears into his work. Finally, as an old man he has the time to reflect on his life, what really mattered, and appreciate his amazing journey.

The entire piece takes place on a grassy knoll next to a seed that grows into a sapling and eventually a fully mature tree. This namoo might be interpreted as a kind of metaphor for the man’s life, as it collects his meaningful memories in its branches – from pacifiers and stuffed animals to books, typewriters, and favorite scarves -- to broken glasses and objects from times he’d rather roon forget. Namoo is a deeply personal yet surprisingly universal piece that will undoubtedly resonate with each viewer differently