00:05Swords, spears and soldiers have travelled back in time to meet on this Middle Ages battlefield
00:11at Armidale.
00:15As our world becomes increasingly digitised, more people are turning to an old reality
00:21to find connection.
00:22Like those attending here at Call to Arms Australia's Living History Military Simulation.
00:28People really want authenticity.
00:31Not just authenticity in a historically accurate kind of way, but authenticity in like a true
00:37understanding and connection to what they're doing and who they are.
00:40Tom Van Lair says the live action role play community can provide crucial social connections.
00:47It brings back the social, not the social as in social media, the actual social, you know.
00:52Humans in the same space doing something together.
00:56That is becoming rarer because of technology.
01:01It can also help build confidence, allowing people a space to challenge themselves.
01:06I love that people have a great time doing it.
01:09They get to explore themselves a bit.
01:10People get to test their courage.
01:13But LARPing can be a slippery slope, with some people beginning to feel dissatisfied with
01:19their day-to-day life after an event.
01:23You slay the dragon on the weekend, and then on Monday morning you're sitting there on your
01:27cubicle with your emails.
01:28You start to question, are these the life choices I was meant to make?
01:32In an increasingly digital world, for some it seems, stepping back in time is the best
01:38escape there is, while for others it's the strong sense of community that keeps them
01:43coming back to an old reality.
01:45This is almost more real life, because if you get stuck in a doom skull forever, how
01:49is that real?
01:50How is that the real life?
01:52It's like actually being present in the moment, and that's what these events do really well.
01:56Is anyone alive?
01:59A step back in time to feel grounded in the present.
