Experience Three AR/VR for Good Films at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights or in Oculus Video

Thanks to the immersive power of VR, you can put on a headset and instantly be transported to another place, another world, and another point of view. Facebook’s AR/VR for Good initiative leverages that power to raise awareness of important social issues in the hopes of inspiring positive change. Last week marked the opening of the Her Truth, Her Power exhibit at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, which includes three VR documentaries that highlight the childhood effects of war, healthcare from a global scale, and educational disparities across gender lines—all of which are now available in the Oculus Video app on Oculus Quest, the Rift Platform, and Oculus Go.

In Children Do Not Play War (directed by Fabiano Mixo), we follow Aloyo, a 12-year-old girl from Uganda, as she plays a make-believe war game that hits too close to home. Mixing oral history with VR, Children Do Not Play War uses interactive elements to immerse the viewer in Uganda’s quest for redemption, hope, and healing.

Mercy (directed by Armando Kirwin), tells the story of Edith, who started to feel a pain on the side of her face at the age of seven. The pain eventually grew into a tumor on her lower right jaw the size of lemon. Mocked and teased at school, she travels to a hospital ship for a life-changing surgery. Thanks to the doctors onboard Mercy Ships, Edith’s surgery is a success. We see the radical transformation it's made on her demeanor and how she sees herself—and we get to see her smile.

Growing up in a community that believes girls should stay at home, do chores, and get married doesn't stop Rani, a 17-year-old from Varanasi, India, who’s determined to graduate from school and go to college. As we follow Rani in Girl Icon (directed by Sadah Espii Proctor), she gives us an intimate glimpse of her hopes, frustrations, and dreams. After meeting other equally ambitious girls at a Girl Icon training, Rani is all the more determined to pursue the future she determines for herself.

Visitors to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights can view the documentaries on Oculus Go, sitting in 360° rotating chairs to comfortably enjoy the full experience. And today, you can experience all three documentaries at home in the Oculus Video app on Oculus Quest, the Rift Platform, and Oculus Go. To celebrate, we sat down with National Center for Civil and Human Rights Director of Exhibitions Lauren Tate Baeza to learn more about this unique exhibit themed around the International Day of the Girl.

Lauren Tate Baeza: Near the end of 2018, Facebook Executive Producer Amy Seidenwurm and Producer Averie Timm contacted our team to discuss a potential exhibition. We talked over the following months, during which I had the opportunity to view and learn more about several of their documentary films. I was particularly moved by Girl Icon and Mercy and proposed we build an exhibition featuring these films around International Day of the Girl. I asked the Facebook AR/VR for Good team to suggest a third film that centered on young women and girls. They recommended the haunting Children Do Not Play War. The films played together at the Tribeca Film Festival to great reception, so we knew we had a winning and complementary film pairing to bring the public.

LTB: This was my first experience as part of a curatorial team working on a VR installation. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights has had temporary virtual reality installations in the past, but this was the first during my tenure. I believe that VR facilitates empathy and understanding in a unique and valuable way. And I think that while the current technology is powerful and effective, we are far from seeing VR’s full potential. Beyond entertainment, I believe these technologies will teach us a great deal about perception and the human mind over the next decade. Psychologists and neurologists are already conducting research toward this end.

LTB: Responses to the exhibition have been incredible. Though not VR, the Center already has an immersive audio experience that simulates a lunch counter sit-in. Visitors have commented that they found it refreshing to have an additional immersive experience in the museum. They note that, while they also enjoy the content and learning more about issues impacting girls globally, they are particularly pleased with the way we have presented this information. This is especially stated among audience members in their 20s and 30s.

LTB: The exhibition is located on our third floor, adjacent from our permanent human rights exhibit, Spark of Conviction. This is deliberate, as the human rights themes addressed in each film are more explicitly detailed in this nearby gallery. For example, Children Do Not Play War is a film about children in post-conflict Uganda. A few steps away in Spark of Conviction, visitors can learn more about the Ugandan Civil War and the current status of war criminal Joseph Kony.

The temporary exhibition space we created for this installation allows for up to 10 visitors at a time. While in line, visitors can view screens that provide supplemental information about each film’s characters and organizations actively involved in human rights efforts related to these stories.

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights aims not only to inform, but to inspire people to act. I think highlighting organizations that are currently working to protect and empower vulnerable children and girls is critical to this exhibit. Inclined visitors may seek out these organizations and become supporters and advocates.

LTB: Her Truth, Her Power launched two months of celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To commemorate the 71st anniversary of the Declaration, the Center will have many special programs and temporary exhibitions through Human Rights Day, December 10, with a focus on social and economic rights detailed in the historic document. I want to encourage everyone to stay connected to the Center, follow us on social media, and join us in celebrating justice, freedom, and dignity for all.​

Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Lauren. We’re honored to help share these stories at the Center.

Experience Children Do Not Play War, Girl Icon, and Mercy today in the Oculus Video app on Oculus Quest, the Rift Platform, and Oculus Go.