Please note that this is an on-going project.
Project Description
Sorella’s story is a 360 experience where the movie watcher follows the story of Sorella from a first person perspective wearing individual virtual reality goggles. The project was the result of Associate Professor Peter Hegedus’ investigation on the history of a photography of women and a girl on a beach in Latvia before being killed by Nazi soldiers during the WWII. This investigation generated three movies: A short documentary (In their name), a film-length documentary (To Never Forget) and the 360 experience, Sorella’s Story. The 360 experience was planned to facilitate empathy in the viewers and mobilise for action. This strategy is being evaluated by the DV Beacon (Griffith) aiming for its use to challenge and deradicalize those affected by extreme right/ fascist ideas through the generation of empathy with those impacted by atrocities.
Project Personnel and Beneficiaries
The project aims to benefit peace initiatives worldwide and support all engaged in deradicalization efforts to eliminate extreme right milicias, terrorism and family violence through empathy building. The project has been well received by Jewish institutions and communities around Europe that see direct gains for these communities.
The key people involved in this project are Associate professor Peter Hegedus and his team, including Bobbi-Lea Dionysius. The support for this project inside Griffith includes DV Beacon leader Professor Elena Marchetti and the beacon team.
Outcomes to Date
Sorella’s Story has been selected for the prestigious Venice Film Festival and for the Brisbane Film Festival.
The project is being considered for distribution in Sweden and another two countries to communities and schools, with the support of the Swedish Film Institute, University ‘Dalarna’ and Jewish organisations such as the Raoul Wallenberg Academy.
IULM University in Milan also showed interest in researching the technology in other contexts.
Wide distribution of the movie particularly to schools and communities directly support the goal of building empathy to bring peace and justice in the face of atrocities and fight extreme right radicalization.
Project Significance
Sorella’s Story contributes directly to the achievement of SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. The project challenges directly war, injustice and historical atrocities, promoting peace and justice through empathy and human connection. The project itself but also its components (the filming technique instead of a gamified version of reality; the use of a 360 experience with individual goggles and the results of the research on ways to increase the promotion of empathy) are all tools to be utilised in future projects to continuously promote peace and justice worldwide.