Film & TV column: Spring 2026

By Anders Lorenzen | Photos: A Long Goodbye VR

In our previous issue of Discover Benelux, we investigated how Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg strengthen their already strong collaboration and partnerships by forming the BENELUX co-development grant. Now, we look at an international production from the region that not only showcases this partnership bond but also innovation in an ever-changing film and TV sector.

With an unusual running time of 35 minutes, which neither fits the usual feature nor short film format, A Long Goodbye straddles the intersection of film and the arts. The film is an animated, interactive Virtual Reality (VR) experience, where you walk in the shoes of Ida, a 72-year-old pianist living with dementia.

The VR experience brings you on a journey in Ida’s life as her reality is fading. The personal VR experience creates an intimate experience, taking the viewers through her memories as they become more faint and when the point of view gets close to objects in her apartment.

A Long Goodbye still.

A poetic experience

This emotional journey saw the film being nominated in the Venice Immersive category at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. The Venice Immersive is a category entirely devoted to immersive media and includes all XR means of creative expression, from 360° videos to XR works of any length, including installations and virtual worlds.

The festival, which is one of the most recognised in Europe, described A Long Goodbye as “a poetic experience about the impact of dementia.”

Written and directed by Kate Voet and Victor Maes, the film is a Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg co-production. A Long Goodbye shows how the Benelux film sector is staying firmly ahead by using the newest and most innovative film technologies.