Manhattan, NY — Who knew you could watch a film screening through a virtual reality headset? This year’s Tribeca Film Festival, located in Manhattan was exceptionally unique, considering creative experimentation and inspirational initiatives rooted in films shown this year. Point of View (POV), directed by Alton Glass, is a film that not only just focuses on social issues, like systematic racism and police brutality, but incorporates an innovative screening experience through virtual reality technology.
In the POV screening, participants were asked if you would like to choose a virtual reality or mobile screening experience. Choosing the virtual reality option makes you feel entirely immersed into a different world. During an exclusive interview with Alton, he said this work had taken him around three years to complete.
“The piece is called Point of View, POV, but it’s really not just one point of view,” Alton shared. “It’s about Points of View, the various Points of View we have, or the very different points of view people put on us, on how they deem us or see us. So this project was about how we can design a world that allows us to shift our points of view in various points of time.”
Alton also mentioned he is excited to announce that he is working on a sequel. Furthermore, he will be further exploring and implementing the hybridization of virtual reality and film in his practice.
Alton is deeply inspired to positively impact society through his symbolic work. He mentioned a unique metaphor during our interview that speaks volumes of the perspective shifts within the film.
“If you look at a tree on two different sides, you’re going to see something completely different.”
Not the Science Type
POV was only the first screening of the Tribeca Film Festival I enjoyed. The other screening was ‘Not the Science Type’.
“Not The Science Type’, educates and empowers the viewer to dissolve preconceived stereotypes that women cannot be prosperous scientists because of their gender. This film explores the background of four brilliant, talented and inspiring women, who all work in the STEM field. Also, this film acts as an encouraging statement, which communicates that girls can change the world as long as they set their minds to it.
All in all, the two screenings leave you awakened to the moment of our contemporary issues ingrained in society’s subconscious. As awakened as you become, you’re also being introduced to how creatives that take these issues and transform them into a masterpiece.
The Tribeca Film Festival defied all odds of conflict or restriction due to COVID-19. This year’s festival was rejoiced more than ever. In fact, most attendees expressed this was their first event in over a year due to COVID19. Even though the past year has been incredibly unprecedented, the successful execution of The Tribeca Film Festival was not.
