Colette, a documentary short featured in Oculus VR title Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, has won an Academy Award.
The film was produced by Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment and Facebook-owned VR company Oculus (who also developed Above and Beyond), and took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject at this year’s ceremony.
The documentary follows Colette Marin-Catherine, one of the last surviving members of the French Resistance, as she travels to the remains of the slave-labor camp where her brother died during World War II.
It represents the first Academy Award win for a video game industry project, and more specifically Respawn and Oculus. Director Anthony Giacchino said he was inspired to make the film to preserve histories and stories that are at risk of being forgotten.
“It was imperative that we go beyond the use of archival footage because we’re running out of time to preserve these oral histories,” he commented earlier this year. “We’re fortunate to have heard Colette’s story and played a small part in bringing healing to one of the last survivors of the French Resistance and all it stood for.”
Colette is available to watch for free on The Guardian, which acquired and distributed the film.