We are excited to announce that OTHERWORLDS, directed by Sophia Bulgakova, will have its official premiere at IFFR 2025.
Inspired by Ukrainian spring and summer rituals, OTHERWORLDS fuses ancient symbols, the use of traditional instruments, and ritual songs like ‘vesnyanky’ and ‘rusalni pisni’ with modern XR technologies.
Through mixed reality and choreographic experiences, the audience embarks on a transformative journey that mirrors the natural cycle from spring to summer. You enter a ritual world where movement and the experience of a new reality invite you to connect the present with the past. In a way that doesn’t attempt to explain cultural backgrounds, but offers yourself a sensory, communal experience. In doing so, the work also strives to keep ancient culture and knowledge alive under the threat of extinction.
Featured under the “Immersive Media” category, the installation can be experienced at Katoenhuis, Rotterdam, from January 30 to February 9, 2025. The Immersive Media programme of IFFR 2025 challenges audiences to engage in transformative experiences where tradition, technology, and storytelling are combined in innovative ways. The works within this category demonstrate how immersive art can serve as a medium for cultural reflection and personal transformation.
