Ep. 7 - Framing Empathy: Crossing Borders Through Virtual Reality

We talk about the virtual reality exhibit “Carne y Arena,” created by filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu, which allows us to experience what it’s like to cross the U.S. - Mexico border on foot. During the 20-minute journey, the participant walks along with a group of immigrants, who are based on real people, and the group is confronted by U.S. border patrol officers.

We speak with Dr. Andrew Scahill, Assistant Professor of Film in the English Department at CU Denver, about the potential for virtual reality to enhance or even transcend the capacity of traditional cinema to create empathy. We each made our solo walk through the desolate sands of the exhibit, joined by Film Studies majors Emilio Marquez and Starz Sanchez, as well as our own Student Assistant Producer Alyssa Haskel. We share our individual versions of the experience and consider how VR can go “beyond the frame” in how it elicits very real emotional reactions to virtual representations, constantly compelling the participant to shift between spectating and interacting directly with the narrative.

Further reading:

About “Carne y Arena” https://carne-y-arena.com/

Gleiberman, Owen. “Cannes Virtual Reality Review: Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s ‘Carne y Arena’.” Variety. https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/carne-y-arena-review-alejandro-g-inarritu-1202438293/

Sehgal, Parul. “A Mother and Son, Fleeing for Their Lives Over Treacherous Terrain.” (Review of ‘American Dirt’). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/17/books/review-american-dirt-jeanine-cummins.html

The songs you hear on the show are "Belle et Triste" and “Roza Vertov” by Kariatida: freemusicarchive.org/music/Kariatida