Director Lynette Wallworth and Producer Nicole Newnham Share Cultural Significant Film in Virtual Reality

A truly remarkable project from director Lynette Wallworth and producer Nicole Newnham is Awavena, a VR/mixed reality documentary about the transition to Shaman of the Yawanawá people.

This transition is significant in that Hushahu has been named the successor, making her the first female Shaman in Yawanawán history. The film follows this important appointment, as well as the positive transformation it had to the community, putting women at the forefront and taking part in ceremony.

The VR allows the viewer to step into life among the Yawanawá people; to see what they see; the glorious images and sounds of the Amazon the average viewer will not have seen before. It is a way to experience another culture and absorb it through a first-person perspective.

The documentary was selected and shown earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier program.

Be sure to watch the behind the scenes film, Sharing Technologies: The Making of Awavena to learn more about the project: