Under the cover of a fun adventure experience, FIGHT BACK is an introduction to self defense techniques as an answer to gender-based violence. Inspired by Empowerment Self Defense, it utilizes the unmatched potential of VR and hand tracking to facilitate learning, building muscle memory, mental acuity, and instilling confidence.
FIGHT BACK is a VR experience offering a self-defense crash course, leveraging VR’s potential for learning and muscle memory. Participants enter a dreamlike world where stars disappear, replaced by mysterious dark entities. They learn combat methods, simple stances, and techniques to identify danger, resist threats, and finally fight back.
Inspired by Empowerment Self Defense, it suits beginners and experienced gamers. Each level saves a star, unlocking personal testimonies and new techniques. Céline Tricart’s past works, like “The Sun Ladies” and “The Key,” deliver politically engaged messages with emotion and poetry. FIGHT BACK continues this mission, using VR to combat violence against women.
The game offers real-life self defense techniques, using hand tracking to develop instincts and muscle memory, promoting self-defense benefits. FIGHT BACK aims to save lives, tapping into VR’s educational and therapeutic potential.
Bios
-
Céline Tricart
FR/US
Céline Tricart is an acclaimed storyteller known for her highly emotional stories and visual artistry. Her VR documentary The Sun Ladies premiered at Sundance. She won the Lion for Best Immersive Work at Venice and the Storyscapes Award at Tribeca for The Key. In 2021, she became Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. A martial artist, certified instructor and avid gamer, Tricart continues her politically engaged work with Fight Back, using VR to combat violence against women.
-
Julie Roué
FR
After exploring various musical avenues (piano, Irish bagpipes, guitar, choir singing), Julie Roué embraced her love for technology and became a sound engineer, later studying harmony and orchestration. Her music blends baroque, jazz, electro, world, and minimalism, heavily influenced by pop.
In 2017, she scored her first feature film, Montparnasse Bienvenüe, which won the Caméra d’Or at Cannes. Her recent works include Fragile, No Love Lost,, The (Ex)perience of Love and Fight Back.
-
Maëlle Holtzer
FR
Maëlle Holtzer is a game designer who has worked on renowned games such as Criminal Case and Quantic Dream’s Detroit: Become Human. She also devotes herself to streams, videos, workshops and conferences. Holtzer previously served as co-president of RIJV, an association committed to promoting diversity in the industry.
-
Marie Blondiaux
FR
Marie Blondiaux has been producing innovative content and games since 2012. Her credits include SENS VR (Selection Tribeca Film Festival 2016), 7 lives (Selection Tribeca Film Festival 2019), 4 FEET HIGH (Sundance New Frontiers and Indie Series 2021, Biblioquête and Fight Back (Mostra 2022). She became Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2022.
Credits
Written and directed by
Céline Tricart
Produced by
Marie Blondiaux & Céline Tricart
A coproduction by
Red Corner
Lucid Dreams Productions
France Télévisions
Game Designer
Maëlle Holtzer
Original music
Julie Roué
Executive Producers
Joanna Popper
Martina Welkhoff
Jenna Seiden
RED CORNER
Producer – Marie Blondiaux
Administrator – Carine Taver
LUCID DREAMS PRODUCTIONS
Producer – Céline Tricart
FRANCE TÉLÉVISIONS
Direction FranceTV StoryLab – Jeanne Marchalot
Production – Vanille Cabaret, Léna Sichez
ALBYON
Spatial audio by
SOURCE SOUND
Animation by
1518 Studios Inc
WITH
English voices
The Inner Voice – Penelope Martin
Ng Mui – Naomi Wu
Telesilla – Leah Arscott
Lakshmi – Mohita Namjoshi
Edith Garrud – Jett Barker
Florence – Ore Apampa
French voices
The Inner Voice – Daphné Bernard
Ng Mui – Yilin Yang
Telesilla – Camélia Jordana
Lakshmi – Tulika Srivastava
Edith Garrud – Adèle Haenel
Florence – Aïssa Maïga
Voice recording
Studio Belleville
G4F
Presented in the context of the Realities in Transition project. Realities in Transition is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.