The School, a World / Szkoła Świat is an interactive observational documentary. But what exactly is a webdoc? It’s a documentary film presented in the form of a website.
The documentary tells the story of Chlebiotki, a small village in Poland where the director, Iga Łapińska, grew up. After leaving the village, she returned 20 years later and discovered how much it had changed. Through this interactive webdoc, we meet seven of the approximately 60 current residents, as well as a woman who left Chlebiotki long ago – the director’s mother.
The webdoc premiered at the IDFA Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam, featured in the DocLab selection for digital storytelling. Our team contributed by consulting with the directors in the early stages, developing the concept, creating the web design, and handling the programming.
What is a webdoc, and what makes this project special?
A webdoc (short for web documentary) is a type of documentary created specifically for the digital environment. Our task was to combine an aesthetically engaging presentation of visual materials – including videos and photographs by the documentary’s authors – with the ability for users to explore multiple paths through the content according to their own choices.
What aspects of the project was our team responsible for?
Our team was responsible for:
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Consulting in the early stages of material development
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Designing an aesthetically pleasing and intuitive interface along with navigation elements
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Creating space for visual materials in an attractive and coherent format
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Implementing interactive solutions that allow non-linear exploration of the content
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Integrating multimedia – video, photos, and sound – into a smoothly functioning system.
This work allows users to enjoy a full, multidimensional experience, where they can explore the content independently, while sound and visuals work together in harmony, creating a cohesive and engaging way to experience the documentary.
