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Art, terror and erections show VR potential at Venice
VR competitions have become a regular feature of film festivals around the world, from Sundance to Cannes, but many remain unaware of how quickly the medium is evolving.
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A visitor views a film in virtual reality (VR) on September 8, 2021 at Palazzo del Casino, as part of the Venice VR Expanded Programme during the 78th Venice Film Festival at Venice Lido.
(AFP/Marco Bertorello)
"Can you tell the difference between what is and isn't real?" intones Tilda Swinton as the room disintegrates into pixels.
Swinton is the latest star to lend her talents to the world of virtual reality, which has been quietly building into a medium with incredible -- and disconcerting -- potential.
She narrates "Goliath", about a man's descent into schizophrenia, illustrated by startling visual effects and interactive experiences that illustrate his slippery hold on reality.
It premiered in the VR section of the Venice Film Festival which is running until Saturday.
It was far from the only intense experience on offer to those willing to don helmets and flail around in a booth.
"Container" was a particularly arresting experience.
One minute, the container is filling with water as a woman tries desperately to keep from drowning, then suddenly it becomes a massage parlor with a man trying to force a woman into sex, then suddenly a tiny sweatshop in which a family of garment workers are toiling away.
