Yawarani is a VR180 film made in collaboration with Indigenous community members in the Amazon rainforest; it is intended to preserve the group’s sacred culture and elders’ wisdom and, when viewed with a VR headset, the experience is even more immersive (Outside TV, 2019). The film was supported by YouTube, Adventure Film Festival and OutsideTV and was directed by Daniel Bury: different versions were simultaneously created for multiple formats, such as vertical video and traditional 16×9 (Bury, n.d.). Even through the basic 180 capability offered by YouTube, one can still navigate around various scenes that were captured of the community members and their surroundings, enabling engagement with what is presented:
OutsideTV. (2019, March 28). Yawarani: A VR Film Made With Indigenous Creators [Video]. YouTube.
What is crucial to note about this project is that the Indigenous community in Yawarani had a desire to ‘immortalize’ their culture through film and VR for the purposes of educating their youth and showcasing their sustainable lifestyle to the wider world (OutsideTV, 2019). Bury (n.d.) emphasizes the collaborative nature of this project, in addition to hosting workshops in the community to teach members about the stages of producing film and VR, such as screenwriting, scene design, post-production, and editing. This exemplifies the potential to share technological knowledge without imposing Western ideals and values: share it when it is welcomed and has collaboration at the heart of it.
References
Bury, D. (n.d.). Yawarani: A Film Made With Indigenous Creators. Daniel Bury Interactive. https://www.danielbury.com/new-page
OutsideTV (2019, March 28). Yawarani: A VR Film Made With Indigenous Creators [YouTube Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU6OwSjod3o&t=90s
Amy, this is amazing. The ability to navigate the screen really personalized the experience. Also, the same was said of Alto Whitman of Naotkamegwanning First Nation who created the website, http://www.firstnationelders.com/
He is interested in preserving stories that he felt are being lost through generations.
Again, this is great!
Hi Amy,
Although the clip that you provided is mostly in still shots, each shot is very engaging. Whether being transfixed by the face painting, or dazzled by the ease at which they build their house, or amazed at their camouflage in their environment the footage is amazing. I can only imagine what it would be like in VR putting yourself in time and place listening to the stories.
The fact that the Yawarani are an integral part in all aspects of the creation reminds me of the Ginsberg’s (2002) paper on Flaherty’s (1922) “Nanook of the North” and how the Inuit were involved with many parts the film’s production.
Neal