Once Upon a Sea is a poetic, interactive XR documentary telling the tragic tale of the legendary Dead Sea. Through a physical exploration of the sea’s forbidden, moonlike landscapes, to intimate encounters with local characters, the user gets a rare glimpse into one of the world’s most dangerous,soon to be extinct, wonders. Centuries of human intervention and political neglect have turned the Dead Sea into a precarious place. Its water levels have dropped dramatically, leaving behind sinkholes and collapsing beaches. The experience offers a deep insight into the complexity and very human impact of this ecological and geopolitical crisis. Once Upon a Sea is our call to action. DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT The shores of the Dead Sea are my childhood landscape, my mother’s and my private refuge. The scorching heat, the salty water and the wild desert brought us closer in silence. Even when my mother’s body grew tired and faint, she continued going and the sea continued offering her all that it could. Though there was little left to give, for it was dying too.