Students exhibit at Open City Festival

From 7-10th May, three projects by our current Immersive Factual Storytelling MA students were exhibited at @opencitydocs as part of Expanded Realities.

LISTENING TO WAR (3/6)

This immersive work is based on The Drone Eats With Me: Diaries from a City Under Fire by Atef Abu Saif, written while he was trapped in Gaza with his family during the 2014 war. Confined to their home throughout the 51-day bombardment, we witness how they come to terms with the relentless sounds of violence. In a world numb to the tragedy of news footage, this piece amplifies the deeply human experience of war through the sonic perspective of a father fearing for his family’s safety.

By Belinda Cherrington, Isaac Irvine, Shuya Wang / 王姝雅, Siqi Xie / 谢斯琦

TALK OF THE TREES (4/6)

Talk of the Trees is an immersive experience where users become trees—gathering sunlight, connecting through underground mycorrhizal networks, and defending against threats. As the journey unfolds, it reveals the harsh reality of deforestation in ancient UK woodlands, highlighting a global crisis. Through gamification and storytelling, the project builds a deep, personal understanding of how trees live, communicate, and why protecting them matters.

By Mingyang Hu, Nina Todres, Jia Zijing

MIRRORREALM (5/6)

MirroRealm recreates the surreal world of dreams, reflecting the unconscious mind as an illusion of reality. The project aims to spark reflection on the hidden connections between bizarre dreams and real-life experiences.

By Yuxi Li, Aini Liu, Yuki Wang, Ruishan Zhang