Very few people would consider Al-Jazeera to be involved in virtual reality. That train of thought is not unusual, as mainstream media companies have little to do with VR these days. However, the company has released “I Am Rohingya” as a virtual reality project. This visual experience documents the tribulations of a young woman from Myanmar to a refugee camp in Bangladesh.
Al Jazeera Launches a VR Documentary
One has to give credit where credit is due. Everyone will agree the virtual reality ecosystem needs more content not related to apps or games. Al Jazeera is trying to make an impact in this regard thanks to their new documentary. I Am Rohingya is a very popular documentary, by the look of things. It also talks about the trials and tribulations of people fleeing to Bangladesh. It is evident these real-life problems deserve to be experienced by everyone to truly feel their impact.
Contrast VR is the company responsible for releasing the documentary. It is the world’s first 360-degree documentary discussing the Rohingya crisis. While most people have heard about this problem or seen some brief clips online, it is not the same by any means. The topic may be considered to be sensitive, but it lends itself perfectly to virtual reality, in a way. Putting the viewer into the shoes of actual refugees will hopefully open more eyes along the way.
Contrast VR Editorial Lead Zahra Rasool comments:
“Hearing about it or seeing pictures of it was not enough. It just felt it was the right fit for the medium of virtual reality, to be able to take the viewers out into the refugee camp, to be able to take them to these people and give them a glimpse of what their challenges are.”
This documentary will also be presented during the Vancouver and Rio International Film Festival this month. It is evident the creators want to convey a powerful message and virtual reality is the right medium to achieve this goal. Although not every VR headset owner will watch this content, it is good to see more content coming to the market regardless.
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