SBS-Australia kicked off its VR Projects

SBS recently launched ‘Untold Australia’ season two, with Inside Manus, the first of three new virtual reality (VR) projects.

Available now on the SBS VR app, Inside Manus gives Australians an insight into life on Manus Island through the personal experiences of three current detainees. Alongside first-hand audio recordings, the stories are brought to life by hand-drawn illustrations that recount scenes from behind the borders of Manus Island and of the detainees’ home countries and families.

John-Paul Marin, Manager, SBS Digital Creative Labs, said, “Through VR and 360° storytelling, SBS’s Untold Australia gives Australians a rare insight into personal experiences of diverse communities, immersing them in virtual worlds that drive an emotional connection and encourage a deeper understanding.”

The second season of Untold Australia continues with VR projects Every King Tide and A Thin Black Line, which will premiere in the coming months.

Every King Tide is a VR documentary telling the story of the people of Poruma, who are at risk of losing their homes, their livelihoods, their culture, and their connection to history and country. Poruma, a tiny island in the Torres Strait with a population of 200, is slowly being eroded and swallowed by the sea.

A Thin Black Line, directed by ATOM award-winner, Douglas Watkin, and with art by Aboriginal artist, Vernon Ah Kee, follows the story of a young Torres Strait Islander girl’s evacuation and separation from family during the 1942 Darwin bombings. (C+T Mag)