VR Diaries: ‘Clouds over Sidra’ is Honest and Sincere

The most powerful part of the virtual reality piece “Clouds Over Sidra” was that it was told from a first-person perspective. However, the weakest part of this virtual reality experience was that it did not seem like there was a true order of events as I was watching the experience. I believe the producers wanted us to see every aspect of this child’s life and it did not matter that some parts just did not fit in with the story. The order of events, however, did not take away from the piece.

The story was more appealing emotionally because it was told from a young girl’s perspective. The story was authentic and believable. No one could have told the story better than the young girl, because it was her story. Her storytelling was honest and sincere. The whole experience was just natural.

I believe if other virtual reality pieces could do more of the first-person perspective, it would make them more powerful to watch. I really enjoyed this piece because it was different from the others. It was not a reporter telling the story. The piece was the girl telling her own story in such an honest way.

Watching this piece helped me to put a face on those in the news stories of displacement in war-torn countries I have been so accustomed to hearing. I was able to sympathize with the young girl’s situation more because she was the one telling her story. This experience was one of the most powerful out of all of the ones I watched.