From the Main Square

This multi-award-winning interactive VR experience shows the rise and fall of an entire civilisation.

The town square is traditionally a meeting place for its inhabitants – a crossroads of stories, commerce and civic life. But in this VR work, it’s also where the forces of history converge, as a small village is gradually overtaken by a military dictatorship. Participants bear witness to the steady march of so-called progress, rendered in immersive 360-degree animation, where economic advancement brings with it increasingly bloody battles over faith, place and power.

Berlin-based director Pedro Harres found himself looking back at his birth country, Brazil, but the divided society he depicts here has disturbing resonances in conflicts across the globe. This dark, gripping and thought-provoking experience arrives at MIFF after sweeping accolades at festivals worldwide, including Venice (2022 Immersive Grand Jury Prize), Annecy (2023 Festivals Connexion VR Award) and NewImages (2023 Grand Prize).