The publication’s film and VR app won the Grand Prix Award at the Cannes Lions Festival. This year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, The New York Times showed the world exactly how virtual reality takes storytelling to another level. It won the Grand Prix in Entertainment and Mobile categories for its VR app and film that throws readers—or participants if we account for the tech’s immersive nature—into a world where stories happening in countries far away can truly come to life. The piece is called Displaced, and it is a short documentary shot with the studio Vr.se Works. Displaced exposes the reality of some 30 million children who are homeless because of warfare.
The documentary runs a little over 11 minutes, following the story of three children in separate regions. Oleg, a 11-year-old boy from eastern Ukraine, Hana, a 12-year-old Syrian girl and Chuol, a 9-year-old South Sudanese boy. The film follows these three as they share their stories of fighting for survival and dealing with loss while conversely attempting to maintain hope.
Viewers get a firsthand look into what war-inflicted structures and refugee settlement camps look like. One of the most touching scenes is when huge white bags fall from the sky, which is the aid delivered to these camps. Hundreds of refugees sprint to collect them, yet we also see these same desperate people helping each other carry the load. Read More…