Virtual Reality has transformed storytelling and film making is able to venture with a point of view rare to be seen. Ten years ago, when virtual reality was introduced CLOUDS OVER SIDRA gave audiences an experience in a Syrian refugee camp through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl. The film raised millions in donations for UNICEF and increased empathy.
In the decade since, immersive documentary has trained doctors, preserved memory, and transported audiences into communities they could never otherwise reach. There was now a new canon of immersive storytelling.
On Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 6pm, join fellow film enthusiasts and makers at The Museum of Moving Image for Inside Story: Ten Years of Immersive Documentary. The program from 6PM-8PM will live demonstrate landmark works: TREE, TRAVELING WHILE BLACK, NOTES ON BLINDNESS, STEP to the LINE, CLOUDS OVER SIDRA. Screenings and conversations with directors and new voices will take place. A closing reception with filmmakers, scholars, technologists, and cultural leaders who have shaped and studied immersive storytelling since its inceptions.
Participating speakers:
- Chris Milk, visionary immersive artist and founder of Within
- James George, Emmy Award-winning immersive creator and inventor of Depthkit
- Michèle Stephenson, Guggenheim Fellow, multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker and founder of Rada Studio
- Gabo Arora, VR pioneer and inaugural director, MoMI LAB
- Moderated by Angela Watercutter from Wired magazine