Films and VR

Films

We invite you to two unique art films at the edge of documentary, experimental and visual essay.

Their themes correspond with the master panels, providing an important complement. They open up a space for reflection on humans’ relationship with technology, nature and their own identity. Both films have not been screened in Poland until now – this is a unique opportunity to see them on the big screen.

• Hyperlinks or it didn’t happen | dir. Cécile B. Evans | United Kingdom | 2014 | 22 min  
• AYÊNAN: Territorios de Agua | dir. Felipe Castelblanco, Lydia Zimmermann | Switzerland, Colombia | 2022 | 35 min 

Hyperlinks or it didn’t happen

• Where: Level 0 (auditorium)
• When: 4 October, 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM

A group of digital entities is searching for the meaning of existence and want to understand their own role in the world. The film is narrated by PHIL, a failed computer animation created by a recently deceased actor. It is from his perspective that we learn about digital agents that exist in different environments, forms and representations: rendering ghosts, SPAM bots, holograms. A number of hyperlinked threads converge, grow and diverge around overarching ideas of functioning beyond anatomy and being part of a machine. The film raises questions about what it means today to be aware of one’s materiality and the status of the personal data that remains of us online. 

AYÊNAN: Territorios de Agua / Water Territories

• Where: Level 0 (auditorium)
• Date: 5 October, 5:30 PM – 6:05 PM

The film documents an expedition along the Amazon River which traced the flow of water from the foothills of the Andes and the Amazon to the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of Colombia. On their way, travellers discover traces of an ancient expedition of El Dorado seekers and learn about the territorial philosophy of indigenous groups from the region. Climbing up to a lake in the upper Andes, members of the Ñambi Rimai Media Collective reach a sacred site and perform a ritual to restore a long-lost treasure – to ‘plant’ water in the mountains. In this symbolic way, they want to bring peace between regions, cultures and non-human worlds. The film was produced in collaboration between Ñambi Rimai Media Collective and Ayênan Quinchoa Juajibioy.

VR 

VR experiences will allow you to empathise with the location and emotions of others in a way as immersive as possible. You will witness a cross-cultural dispute, learn about the fate of indigenous tribes and their languages, and even take on the role of a bat. 

Screenings in English.

• Where: Level 1
• When:
  • October 3, 7:30–10:00 PM
  • October 4, 11:00 AM–10:00 PM
  • October 5, 11:00 AM–8:00 PM
• Special event: meeting with author of EthnoVR on October 5, 12:00–2:00 PM.

How to use VR: notify the staff, choose a film and wait for your turn

EchoVision, 2024  

dir. Botao Amber Hu, Jiabao Li, Danlin Huang, Jianan Johanna Liu, Xiaobo Aaron Hu, Yilan Tao, 2024, USA 

EchoVision is an immersive installation that allows you to perceive the world as a bat. The specially designed bat-head-shaped VR headset enables the simulation of echolocation, which allows animals to move in the dark. The exhibit responds to the user’s voice by interpreting the reflected sound using mixed reality visualisation. The dynamics of the visualisation depend on the pitch and tone of voice. The installation combines science with empathetic engagement, supporting eco-centric design and inter-species understanding. It teaches, inspires and helps to appreciate the unique ways in which animals interact with the environment.  

https://reality.design/project/echovision

Exhibitions:

• SIGGRAPH Asia. 2024. XR. "EchoVision". Tokyo, Japan
• West Bund Art Festival. 2024. "EchoVision". Shanghai, China
• Ars Electronica. 2024. Linz, Austria,

Kusunda

dir. Felix Gaedtke and Gayatri Parameswaran, 2021, 25 min, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Nepal, Taiwan

This is a narrative VR experience about the disappearance of languages. Most of the endangered languages originate from indigenous communities, such as the Nepali Kusunda. The protagonists of the film are representatives of this particular community – the shaman Lil Bahadur, who forget his indigenous language, and his granddaughter Hima, who is trying to revive the old speech. We see a contrast between two generations differing in lifestyle but bound together by their indigenous identities. Lil Bahadur, who lived the life of a traditional hunter-gatherer for 40 years, lost his language when he moved to the village. ‘When my parents died, I had no one to speak to in my native language. It slowly began to fade,’ he says with resignation. Hima, Lil’s granddaughter, a bright teenager detached from her grandfather’s hunting lifestyle, represents the modern face of Kusunda identity and takes on the challenge of resurrecting the native language. ‘I am proud of my heritage and culture. I will do what I can to protect them and I am sure I will succeed.’

Awards and Screenings:

• Grand Jury Storyscapes Award – Tribeca Film Festival 2021
• Raindance Immersive Award, Best Documentary Experience – Raindance Film Festival 2021
• Expanded VR Best of Program – Venice Film Festival 2021
• Official Selection – IDFA DocLab 2021
• Official Selection – Tribeca Film Festival

This Is Not a Ceremony

dir. Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon) 2022, 21 min, Canada

Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon), an author and director from the Niitsitapi tribe, takes us across the boundary of traditional media, straight into another world where past, present and future become one. The narrative takes the audience into a dreamlike reality where time and ghosts flow and merge, and stories come alive and dance before the eyes. Two indigenous poets lead us on a journey into a world ruled by Matriarchs and Inii – the buffalos. We discover the history of people harmed by the colonial tradition of systemic racism. These stories challenge the status quo, reveal the cruelty of colonial oppression, and ask the question: Now that you know it, what will you do with it? This unforgettable experience will stay with you long after it is over. 

Awards and Screenings:

• Premiere: Sundance Film Festival 2022
• New Voices Competition – Tribeca Film Festival 2022

EthnoVR  

dir. Daniela Hekiert-Małozięć, 2022, 9 min, Poland

It is a 360° film depicting a misunderstanding between students – a Pole and a Chinese – studying at the same university in Poland and working on a joint project. The user can experience the situation from each character’s perspective and hear their inner monologues. The film ends with an explanation of the misunderstanding with reference to cultural differences in communication.

Special event: meeting with author of EthnoVR on October 5, 12:00–2:00 PM.