Two-time Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy announced the release of Pakistan’s first ever virtual reality film series titled, ‘Dekh Magar Pyar Se..‘
The 5-part documentary series is all set to be premiered at the upcoming 55th New York Film Festival, the inaugural Tribeca TV Festival as well as the Future of Storytelling.
‘Look But With Love‘ is a virtual reality documentary series that entails the ambitions of the extraordinary people of Pakistan in an attempt to change the socio-political landscape of their communities through causes that are deeply embedded in their passions.
The series explores the lives of Pakistan’s most fearless and passionate citizens, one story at a time – all the way from a doctor residing in the slums of Karachi who has dedicated his life to providing free emergency care to children, to a courageous community of women in Nowshera which is the epicenter of the terrorist insurgency.
The first virtual reality series by the two-time Academy Award winning filmmaker and her production SOC Films, in collaboration with Chris Milk’s company WITHIN, travels from Karachi to Jamshoro and the Thar Desert to Lahore and Nowshera.
Audiences at the #NYFF55 will experience the first two episodes of this exciting project, A Story of Women and A Story of Dance at the annual program given the title Convergence. The sixth edition of the program will delve into the world of immersive storytelling via interactive experiences, featuring a virtual reality along with an augmented reality, live labs and demos, and much much more.
Convergence will be free to the public and will take place on the 29th of September, 2017 from 3 pm to 6 pm and the 30th of September 2017 and October 1st, 2017, from 12 pm to 6 pmat the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center.
A similar experience will be offered for the anticipating audiences at the #TribecaTVFestival from the 22nd to the 24th of September, 2017 and #FoSTFest on the 4th and 5th of October, 2017. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the woman behind the magic, will be present at these festivals herself to talk about her work and share her up and personal experience working on Pakistan’s first Virtual Reality film series.
In Pakistan, Look But With Love is part of the Dil Se Campaign – Pakistan’s first transmedia campaign which encompasses documentaries, music videos, TV shows, radio programs, virtual reality experiences, social media activities, animation series, film festivals and on-ground activities across the country to celebrate Pakistan’s diversity, acknowledge its unsung heroes and give voice to enable the social good. The series will be showcased in schools and colleges starting September 2017.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy said: “Virtual Reality as an experience is very immersive. I wanted audiences to interact with Pakistan in a completely different manner. In the series, I have focused on Pakistan’s unsung heroes… you will be able to literally walk in their shoes as they fight to save children in emergency hospitals and bring clean water to villages – finally a series where you can understand the spirit of the struggle of everyday heroes as they address Pakistan’s most pressing issues.“
