Inside the Story: Ten Years of Immersive Documentary
Ten years ago, virtual reality introduced a new way to walk into stories. The immersive documentary Clouds Over Sidra placed audiences in a Syrian refugee camp through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl. The film doubled donations for UNICEF, raising millions of dollars, and has been renowned for its ability to increase empathy and bridge divides.
This breakthrough in empathy and storytelling compelled audiences to ask what it means to witness a life so closely, to feel intimacy without distance.
In the decade since, immersive documentary has trained doctors, preserved memory, and transported audiences into communities they could never otherwise reach. What began with Sidra inspired a wave of work—Tree, Traveling While Black, Notes on Blindness, Step to the Line, and others—that has shaped a new canon of immersive storytelling.
Like the early experiments of cinema more than a century ago, these works herald the birth of a form. Join MoMI for its second program leading up to the opening of its new LAB space. This event provides a rare opportunity to experience these landmark works together and engage in discussion around how stories are made, shared, and felt, amidst the latest wave of AI and other emerging technologies.
Participating speakers:
Chris Milk, visionary immersive artist and founder of Within
James George, Emmy Award–winning immersive creator and inventor of Depthkit
Michèle Stephenson, Guggenheim Fellow, multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker and founder of Rada Studio
Gabo Arora, VR pioneer and inaugural director, MoMI LAB
Moderated by Angela Watercutter from Wired magazine
Program:
Live demonstrations of landmark works: Tree, Traveling While Black, Notes on Blindness, Step to the Line, and Clouds Over Sidra.
Screenings and conversations with pioneering directors and new voices.
A closing reception with filmmakers, scholars, technologists, and cultural leaders who have shaped and studied immersive storytelling since its inception.
About MoMI LAB
This convening is part of MoMI LAB, the Museum of the Moving Image’s new initiative dedicated to AI and emerging technologies. Opening in Spring 2026, MoMI LAB will be the first free, accessible lab of its kind—building the future of culture and technology for all. It will be a public space where artists, educators, and communities experiment, question, and imagine new futures together.