The first time I tried virtual reality, I remember being completely transported. One moment, I was in my living room. The next, I was walking through a refugee camp in Syria. The dirt, the voices, the children running past, it all felt real. I could look in any direction and be surrounded by a world I’d never seen before.
It was powerful, emotional, and unforgettable.
But when I took the headset off, I couldn’t help but ask myself: was that empathy I just felt, or manipulation?
Virtual reality documentaries are changing the way we tell stories. Instead of just watching a film, viewers step into it. Whether it’s exploring melting glaciers, experiencing life in a war zone, or standing in the middle of a protest, VR allows people to see the world through someone else’s eyes, literally. Filmmakers call it the “ultimate empathy machine.” And in many ways, it is.
Still, that first experience left me thinking: if VR can make me feel something so real, how much of that emotion truly belonged to me?
Starting Narratives 
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