Preview of the Virtual Reality Series 'William'

As part of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Nish Media and Hubblo are pleased to announce the Montreal preview of the virtual reality series William on Friday, September 29th at the McCord Stewart Museum. The presentation will take place at 6 p.m. in the presence of director Sonia Bonspille Boileau and producer Jason Brennan.

William tells the story of a nine-year-old torn from his family in 1960 and placed by force in one of 139 Indian residential schools that existed in Canada over a period of a hundred years.

Each episode highlights one typical scene in the children’s journey through the system, from their life on the land to their abduction by government agents, their arrival at the school, their experience in the dormitory, the classroom, and their return home.

The decision to shoot and broadcast William in virtual reality stemmed from the realization that this "new form" allows viewers to move from a passive to an active mode, from spectator to user. According to producer Jason Brennan, virtual reality can help democratize a topical issue, and thus contribute to the enrichment of cultural and collective life.

William is produced by Nish Media with financial support from the Canada Media Fund, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts. National and international sales and distribution are handled by Hubblo.

Based in western Québec, Nish Media is a prize-winning Indigenous owned production house with over fifteen years’ experience. The company is dedicated to support Indigenous multimedia professionals in creating unique and captivating content for any platform. Whether it be television, cinema or new media, Nish’s goal is to promote Indigenous cultures both domestically and internationally.