Virtual Reality at the 75th Annual Venice Film Festival

Seven standout selections demonstrating the scope of the filmic art form

On a Venetian island named Lazzaretto Vecchio (aka VR Island) the Venice Film Festival‘s virtual reality division showcases and honors advancements in the cinematic medium, both immersive and linear. For the second annual Venice Virtual Reality program, 30 works were selected from roughly 250—a rising number that reflects the importance of film festivals with regard to VR storytelling. And, as expected from the prestigious event, it’s hard to find a roster as …

Tay Iwar: Miracle Girl

From Lagos- and Abuja-raised Tay Iwar comes a trio of singles, out on Soulection. “Miracle Girl” stands out as an exhausting display of vocal range over electric guitar croons. “Girl, you’re a miracle,” the chorus rings. It’s an interlude-esque tune that teeters on the edge of a breakdown—though one never comes. The result is three minutes of pared-back ups and downs accentuated by high-notes and hard strums. …

Anna Calvi: Hunter

Anna Calvi’s new song “Hunter” (from her upcoming album of the same name) and the accompanying music video are both beautiful, bold and powerful statements. The latter, directed by Matt Lambert, is a divine and raw exploration of concepts surrounding self-love, identity, intimacy—specifically from a queer angle. Calvi tells Dazed, “It feels incredibly defiant to explore pleasure and the body from a queer perspective, when …