BURIED IN THE ROCK

Set in Northern Ireland, Buried in the Rock is a portrait of two passionate individuals and their motivation to discover new cave passages despite the dangers, darkness and the unknown that may lay ahead. While following Tim and Pam’s descent into the cave, the entire dramatic Tullyard cave system is revealed in stunning miniature detail capturing the otherworldly formations and watery sounds within the cave.

Buried in the Rock premieres internationally at IDFA, then tours independent cinemas and arts venues across the UK, as part of the StoryFutures Xperience programme, starting at BelfastXR Festival. Strap on your VR headset and savour an imaginative escape into the awe-inspiring subterranean world of elite cavers.

Marvel at the cave's otherworldly rock formations and echoes of dripping water as a miniature 3D map unfurls the entire entry passage. Then don your headlamp and experience Tullyard's bottom in true 1:1 scale, plunged into darkness alongside the Foggs.

Move freely to find Tim and Pam at different locations, as they muse on their passion for preserving these threatened subterranean realms in the Anthropocene age. Despite dangers and close calls, their infectious enthusiasm for bringing scientists and film crews safely to the world's least accessible places shines through.

Tim and Pam Fogg have travelled the world helping TV crews and scientists access some of the world’s least inaccessible places, from tree canopies to live volcanoes. Starting as youth workers they then began to teach people how to access caves safely and eventually started working with the BBC’s Natural History unit in Bristol to enable access for camera crews to film incredible locations. Many of us will never make it to some of these remote locations but VR can get us closer to what it's like for these explorers.

We meticulously documented Tullyard's details and ambience using LiDAR scanning and binaural audio recordings. The result is an environmental portrait of two ordinary people living extraordinary lives of exploration.

Though few may physically experience such remote splendours, VR transports you closer to the wonder and allure that drives the Foggs ever deeper through tight passages into the unknown. Revealing both the beauty of the cave as well as what drives Tim and Pam to record these uncharted spaces. Caving requires partnership, precision and safety and despite many hair raising moments, their passion for caving is infectious.

Join their descent at the frontier of immersive non-fiction.