Future of StoryTelling (FoST) Humanity is First — Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Revisited
10 snips
Dec 18, 2025 
Alejandro González Iñárritu, the acclaimed Mexican filmmaker behind Oscar-winning films like Birdman and The Revenant, discusses the innovative VR installation Carne y Arena. He shares his obsession with migrant stories, revealing how a simple image sparked his VR journey. Alejandro highlights the immersive experience's multisensory elements designed to evoke empathy and connection. He reflects on the challenges of directing in 360°, the importance of authenticity in storytelling, and the potential of VR to transform emotional responses while warning of its risks.
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Choosing Intimacy Over Fame
- Alejandro turned to VR after Birdman and The Revenant to create an intimate, human-centered work rather than chase fame or box office.
- He connected a personal image (bare feet in sand) with VR's possibility to put people in migrants' shoes.
Design For A 360° Stage
- Abandon the director's strict frame and choreograph the whole 360° environment for believable experiences.
- Design every person and action as potentially central because participants can look anywhere.
Sensorial Setup Anchors VR Emotionally
- Carne y Arena uses a physical prelude (freezing room, removed shoes, sand) to root the VR emotionally and sensorily.
- Multisensory cues (temperature, sand, wind) make the brain accept the virtual scene as real.
