VR film documents the horrors of the October 7 Hamas attack
The VR project Be the Witness recreates the horrific events of October 7th with the help of five survivors.
The Be the Witness project uses virtual reality to document the experiences of five survivors of the October 7 Hamas massacre. Terrorists killed and tortured more than 100 residents of Be'eri, setting fire to homes and shooting at people seeking refuge in shelters. The VR headset gives you a glimpse of what the survivors went through.
The project was initiated by Nimrod Palmach, CEO of the NGO Israel-is, which works to improve the image of Israel, and veteran producer Stephen D. Smith. Palmach himself confronted the terrorists on October 7, armed only with a pistol. He describes the events as barbaric and comparable to those of 1943. Together with Smith, he developed the idea of capturing the stories of the survivors using state-of-the-art VR technology.
VR as a tool for safety training
VR experiences are becoming an important medium for making the horrors of war and violence tangible. At the same time, they can convey the value of culture, humanity, and resilience. In both Israel and Ukraine, initiatives are using VR to capture eyewitness accounts, preserve cultural heritage, and prepare people for challenging situations.
While the Be the Witness project in Israel documents the experiences of survivors of a Hamas massacre, the VR film “You Destroy. We Create” shows the struggle of Ukrainian artists to preserve their culture amidst the destruction caused by war. Both approaches allow viewers to put themselves in the shoes of those affected and develop a more in-depth understanding of their experiences.
The 2402 Foundation uses virtual reality to better prepare Ukrainian journalists for assignments in war zones. They train their decision-making skills and stress management in simulated dangerous situations. This innovative approach could also be of great benefit to other professionals working in crisis areas.
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