An Evening with Nonny de la Peña: Immersive Journalism

Description

Named one of the “13 People Who Made the World More Creative” by Fast Company, Nonny de la Peña is leading a field she invented called immersive journalism and is changing the way people experience nonfiction narratives. Using cutting-edge, virtual reality technology, she immerses viewers in documentary stories, allowing them to feel an extraordinary emotional connection as witnesses. Her project “Gone Gitmo,” created in collaboration with artist Peggy Weil and originally launched in virtual environment Second Life, was a groundbreaking approach to reporting through virtual experience. Amongst her many projects, de la Peña’s newest VR work, “Project Syria” recreates both a busy street corner in Aleppo that comes under attack and a refugee camp that grows more crowded over time. In this talk, de la Peña will present her work, its intents and consequences and lay out prospects for the future of nonfiction reporting. —Sean Uyehara