Cultural Impact

** This project will be displayed at Tūranga Library, Christchurch **

Join Doc Edge for a tour of six Cultural Impact Stories through the library.

Atuatanga
Wiremu Grace | 2024 VR Game |  New Zealand
Virtual reality guides you deep into a Māori world view, showing future destruction if action is not taken. Using cutting edge technology from Meta Quest and the Unreal Engine, you will see, hear and feel the journey of the Atua.

Knowledge Flows
Johnson Witehira |2022 | Mixed Immersive | New Zealand
He pīriti mai i te Ao Matihiko ki Te Ao Māori. The global indigenous-led project explores how digital and new media art, constructed through innovative workshops and symposia, creates new paradigms for indigenous community engagement. Experience new adaptations of some of these digital artworks through pop- up projector activations.

Maui Studios AR Graphic Novels 
Vincent Egan, Madison Henry-Ryan| 2020 – Now | AR Interactive | New Zealand
The stories and resources shared in the augmented reality graphic novels made by Māui Studios give viewers a glimpse into the beauty and richness of te ao Māori. This is done through the keystones of whakapapa and te reo and offer unique perspectives into Māori culture by retelling iwi and kaumātua stories in a contemporary format.

Pacific Dance NZ MOANA
Ed Davis, Iosefa Enari | 2024 |VR Film | Aotearoa NZ  (PP4)

The project presents two worldviews of Pacific culture in Aotearoa through dance and camera, captured by cinematographer Ed Davis and director Iosefa Enari. 

1) Tala Tu'upua explores the relevance of Tongan mythology in Aotearoa. Choreographed by Losaline Tupou. 

2) Unheard Of is a solo work by NZ-born Samoan contemporary dancer Laifa James Ta'ala, shot in a single take.

Reimagined Volume II: Mahal
Michael Ternasky-Holland | 2023 | VR Film | United States
Inspired by Philippine mythology, the story focuses on Apolaki, Mayari, Tala, and Hanan, the four immortal children of the recently passed creator god, Bathala. As each of these deities wrestle with the grief of losing Bathala, their all-powerful actions create ripples in the universe.

Waka Hourua
Priyan Jayamaha | 2024 | AR Game | New Zealand
The educational board game is designed for children to play and discover the early Polynesian migration and navigation. The project goes beyond traditional board games, integrating augmented reality to create an immersive and interactive play experience.