Nu:Reality – Trailblazing Taiwan

Brought forth as an unprecedented Virtual Reality platform, the rapidly-growing Nu:Reality sets itself off as a rolling initiative merging storytelling, technology, education, and research in the endlessly hypnotic realm of the non-physical. This summer, Nu:Reality invites us to explore Taiwan’s cinematic artistry through a ground-breaking experience featuring 360º films and interactive installations highlighting the excellence of Taiwanese Virtual Reality. The 360º auditorium program consists of three VR films that are experienced one after another. This allows the audience to dive into their own world with their headsets, while maintaining a collective participation as the sound is played in the shared auditorium. The interactive part entails an individual presence where people interact with VR using controllers in their own ‘hub’.

From July 17th to September 18th, get ready to be transported into the innovation and creativity of Taiwanese VR through Nu: Reality’s curated selection presented throughout 7 Dutch theatres (Amsterdam readers, check out the Eye or scroll below to find your city!). With this, Nu:Reality is embedding VR artistry into the fabric of accessible entertainment, ensuring that it’s not only celebrated in a fleeting moment of a festival or an event, but is here to stay. From Red Tail’s magical interactive animation to Samsara’s futuristic sci-fi VR exploration and Home’s 360-degree immersion into familial memories, the program has something for any mood and taste. Here are our top picks 😉

Over the Rainbow
Directed by Craig Quintero, Over the Rainbow explores the delicate balance between desire and happiness, fantasy and security. This immersive experience frees itself from having a linear singular plot or meaning, aiming to mirror real life as closely as ever. Quintero’s VR work emphasises the longings and limitations of human nature – reminding us of the insatiable yearning for something different, for what lies at the end of the rainbow.

Wonder of Life
Get ready to travel through the serene beauty of a lotus pond on Mount Niushou, embarking on an existential journey to reflect on the ultimate meaning of life. According to director Wen Chien Chang, the final destination lies in the details: the intricate veins of a lotus leaf, the fleeting presence of a dragonfly, a subtle fragrance dissolving into the air, and ripples fading into water. At dawn, the lotus pond unveils life’s wonders, celebrating the poetic beauty found in nature’s tiniest elements.

Home
It’s a quiet summer afternoon, and a family gathers at their old home to surround their grandmother with love and affection despite her inability to move, respond, or hear clearly. As people come and go, this poignant scene captures the essence of family bonds and the quiet passage of time in the tranquil setting of their home. Directed by HSU Chih-Yen, this 360-degree film welcomes the audience in a place where serenity and grieving can simply coexist as part of the human experience.