Remember playing with the View-Master as a kid? You know, those toys that cycled through scenes or a story while you looked on? That 1939 invention was just a reconfiguring of (and major update from) the stereoscope invented 100 years before.

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Things took a leap forward in the 1960s.

The Birth of Live Action Virtual Technology
The first head-mounted display was invented, then the first motion-tracking display, and then the first display connected not to a camera, but to a computer. It was so heavy, it had to be hung from the ceiling — a far cry from today’s cardboard-light displays.

Users of this new technology, nicknamed the “Sword of Damocles” (after the legendary story about being in a position of power), were then strapped into it. Of course, given the technology at the time, users weren’t exactly greeted with the lifelike images afforded by today’s amazing tech.

Other VR devices followed, each one building on the last. It wouldn’t be until the 1980s that virtual reality accessories were marketed to the public. The system alone cost almost $50,000 — no small change even by today’s standards.

Nintendo and Sega Genesis hopped on board the new craze. In the case of Sega, it was never able to release its VR Glasses project due to technical difficulties, even though the company had already completed games for it. Nintendo, on the other hand, did release a 3D gaming console, but with a series of issues (such as its less than comfortable headset), it didn’t take off.

Live Action Technology Today
With Oculus Rift consistently making headlines and great leaps forward, the new release of the Playstation VR, Google Daydream in the works, and the HTC Vive and controllers that started shipping in spring of this year, it keeps getting better.

Where technology will take us is anyone’s guess. Make sure your Android smartphone is ready for it. Clean it up with PSafe TOTAL. Protect your phone from viruses and malware and delete unneeded programs.

At the United Kingdom’s Sheffield Doc/Fest, this is exactly what some producers were aiming to create. Using a combination of documentary footage, smart artificial intelligence, and virtual reality technology, the Doc/Fest curators showcased 12 filmmakers who devised interactive projects that placed festival goers in far off destinations in space and time. These ranged from an incredibly life-like spacewalk simulation to exhibits showing the life of a Syrian refugee amid the ongoing refugee crisis.

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While traditional documentaries have typically been filmed without virtual reality considerations in mind, what makes the demonstrations at Doc/Fest so different from the standard nature or historical program is their interactivity. In one particular exhibit, entitled New Dimensions in Testimony, festival-goers were brought into a dark room with an oblong screen, where they could interact with a Holocaust survivor. The survivor, Pinchas Gutter, was brought to life using natural language technology and a life-like rendering of his body taken from hours of interview footage with the USC Shoah Foundation. The result is an experience that nearly feels like speaking to the real Pinchas Gutter. The simulated Gutter can offer musings from the factual to the philosophical, and can answer questions spontaneously. Though Gutter is still alive today, his contribution to the project will allow future generations to have personal chats with the man, preserving the first-hand experience digitally.

While they are fascinating and full of potential, it isn’t outlandish that some would find these kinds of interactive historical documentaries morally wrong, especially when the events depicted are ongoing in the real world. Two Billion Miles and We Wait are two such projects that put the viewer in the shoes of a Syrian refugee. In the former, you must make decisions to escape the violence in Syria, the outcomes of which are reflected in simulated news coverage segments. The latter, meanwhile, casts spectators as migrants trying to escape Turkey by sea into Greece — every attempt, though, ends with the viewer being detained and returned to Turkey by authorities. Despite the realistic, sometimes disturbing depictions of this humanitarian crisis, a viewer can detach from that reality anytime he or she likes by removing the headset.

Despite the moral ambiguity of some subjects shown in VR documentaries, there is no question that giving viewers a first-person look into history is a poignant and enthralling experience. By educating the viewer and immersing them into these realities, virtual reality is proving that it can be more than just an electronic toy for escapism and whimsical entertainment, but also a tool for enlightening the world, eliciting empathy from audiences, and, as the Doc/Fest filmmakers hope, a call to action for social change and human justice.

Alejandro Iñárritu, a filmmaker perhaps best known for his films Birdman and The Revenant, is also taking on virtual reality film. The film has been in development for four years. It will focus on the experiences of a group of immigrants and refugees arriving to the United States by way of Mexico. Legendary Entertainment and Fondazione Prada (an organization that promotes contemporary art and culture) will produce Iñárritu’s film, while ILMxLAB will help bring the film to life by creating the film’s virtual world and characters. Emmanuel Lubezki, a cinematographer who has worked with Alejandro Iñárritu on Birdman and The Revenant, will also be involved with the film.

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Virtual reality, of course, offers a new form of storytelling. The goal is to get the viewer to participate in the story — to essentially “live” with the story. There is still debate, however, about whether or not the viewer should have a more passive or active role with this experience. As for how this will work in Iñárritu’s new film, it’s still unclear — not much is known yet about the film. Nonetheless, this will be an especially effective medium for Iñárritu’s topic, considering the current discourse on immigration and refugees, and the truly immersive experience of virtual reality.

The popularity of 3D films and augmented reality has helped to pave the way for virtual reality films. Currently, virtual reality is more popular in gaming than in film. But virtual reality film could be especially popular in fandom culture, for those who already pay to further celebrate their favorite TV show or film, for example, by purchasing merchandise, video games, and tickets to comic-cons and certain theme parks. Virtual reality film would offer another way to let fans interact with their favorite fictional universe.

With the release of Iñárritu’s new short film and his prestigious track record, maybe virtual reality film will soon be taking over the Academy Awards (perhaps, eventually, in the form of its own category). It is only a matter of years before the medium could truly catch on in mainstream culture, which means we might have some exciting films to look forward to in the future.