Munduruku: The Fight to Defend the Heart of the Amazon is an extraordinary experience where users are transported inside one of the Amazon’s most iconic indigenous communities, the Munduruku, at one of the most important moments in their ancient history. The Munduruku are under threat, with the government planning on building a series of dams on the Tapajos River which might destroy their homeland forever.
Considered as the next step in VR storytelling, Munduruku combines cutting edge virtual reality filmmaking and multi-sensory storytelling to fully immerse the viewer with the story that is played out within an immersive ‘pod’, designed by multi-sensory storytelling production company The Feelies, which provides users with a truly empathic, unparalleled multi-sensory virtual reality experience.
Alchemy used the latest 360 video and binaural sound technology to create the audio and visual elements of the project. Directing the action more like a theatrical production than a standard film, the members of the tribe were encouraged to make full use of the 360 space provided to carry out their day to day activities through gentle stage direction and clever placement of the camera. To create the multi-sensory elements The Feelies collected data by performing a sensory mapping of the local area – including taking a perfumer to take in the scents of the forest. From this they created six award-winning bespoke perfumes, an infrasonic frequency track, humid atmospheres and a narrative of heat and wind.
FoST
People Choice Award
2017
SheffDocFest
Audience Award: Alternate Realities
2017
Raindance
Best Social Impact VR Experience
2017
“A uniquely all-encompassing viewing experience”
The Fountain
“The only issue was that the tears made my glasses steam up… Munduruku: The Fight to Defent the Heart of the Amazon is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before”
Civil Society Futures
“Munduruku is enhanced by an enormous sense of pageantry and attention to detail”
Sight and Sound, BFI
VR DIRECTOR
James Manisty
MUTISENSORY DIRECTOR
Grace Boyle
PRODUCER
Pete Speller
EDITOR
Richard Lester
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
James Aldred
LINE PRODUCER
Tom Evans
JUNIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER
Jessica Cook
PRODUCTION SECRETARY
Jennie Baker
SOUND DESIGN
Gabriella Scanio
POST PRODUCTION TEAM
Julia Zahner
Matthew Arneil
Matthew Fisketjon
VISUAL EFFECTS BY ZOO
Thérèsa Zambra
Mike Woodruff
Matt Baker-Jones
ARCHIVE
Greenpeace
Framepool
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Cacique Juarez saw Munduruku & the Muduruku People
Asensio Rodriguez
John Sauven
Fabio Nascimento
Natalia Murgel
Renato Guimaraes
Agnado Almedia
Paul Hamilton
Saulo Jamariqueli
Crossmodalism
Sarah McCartney
Dr Marianna Obrist
Clive Kersey
James Williams
Snooks
SUBPAC
Zack London
Ben Tildesley
Denis Schnegg
Felicity Hickson
Julia Laird
Barnaby Laws
Sam Labs
PCE Instruments
Dr Keith Watkinson FIMMM CPhys
Dr Katayune Presland
Luke Iseman
Dave Marshall-George DipM FlnstSMM
Lyn Cowley
Shuffle