The EYE OF THE BEHOLDER VR subverts the war-game genre to explore how we judge one another as friend or foe. We developed what is now the EYE OF THE BEHOLDER VR immersive experience. We wanted to bring the remarkable empathy that Najah and Zahed felt for one another into a unique space, where audiences would be able to step into their shoes and make choices for themselves, that could make them rethink their decisions in real life. The strong international response to the films, as well as feedback in the Q and A sessions, led us to explore the film’s core themes further. The film evolved into a feature documentary, which premiered at Hot Docs Documentary Film Festival in 2017. It landed on the Oscar shortlist, was nominated for an Emmy award, and premiered as a NYTimes OpDoc in 2015. I documented their story in a film, MY ENEMY, MY BROTHER, which resonated strongly with audiences across the world. His act of bravery has had lasting ramifications in both their lives and those of their families.
I was deeply inspired by Zahed's ability to recognize the humanity in his enemy. Zahed made a split-second decision in the heat of the battlefield and instead of shooting Najah, he risked his own life to save him. Zahed was an Iranian child soldier during the Iran-Iraq War when he found Najah, an enemy soldier, injured in a bunker. Zahed and Najah are former enemy soldiers who have become blood brothers for life. EYE OF THE BEHOLDER is a 20 beta minute experience that subverts the war-game genre as players must choose to combat or collaborate with others.Īs a documentarian I am inspired by real life situations and stories and in 2014, I was lucky enough to meet two men whose story changed my life and that of many others. Step into war-torn enemy territory in this immersive VR game experience based on the Oscar-shortlisted documentary MY ENEMY, MY BROTHER (2015).
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