Broome filmmaker Brooke Collard to bring First Nations ‘truth-telling’ to life in virtual reality

Harnessing the immersive power of virtual reality, Broome filmmaker Brooke Collard and her partner Kylie Bracknell will bring to life Walbreninj — the story of Noongar women seeking to heal both land and spirit — after being named one of two successful teams in the inaugural First Nations VR Documentary Initiative.

Walbreninj, which translates to ‘healing’ in the Noongar language, is about Country holding on to memories and passing those memories on to people through bodily sensations or visions.

It explores a group of Noongar women who have held on to a haunting truth about a local parkland for 30 years, and strange events that have drawn people back there. Now, these Noongar women want to bring healing to the spirits of ancestors left behind and return the park to Walbreninj.

Brooke Collard said using VR to tell the story allows them to tap into the immersive qualities of the technology that aren’t present in other mediums.

“VR has this special extra layer of immersion that you don’t get in film,” she said.

“Previously working in narrative design for games really opened my eyes to how far you can push stories and audiences with VR, and with Walbreninj, it brings this extra level of understanding and compassion when you make your audience directly a part of the story.

“I’ve used VR, and the first time was experiencing Tyson Mowarin’s Thalu. I remember sinking into the ground and being awed by the possibilities of storytelling.”

The First Nations VR Documentary Initiative, made possible with financial support from Lotterywest, is a special initiative designed to uncover distinctive WA First Nations voices, support their career progressions and enable practitioners to explore new storytelling mediums and markets.

Screenwest chief executive Rikki Lea Bestall said virtual reality offered a powerful new way to bring First Nations stories to life.

“Virtual reality doesn’t just convey a story, it immerses audiences right into the heart of the film,” she said.

“In Western Australia, we have a wealth of First Nations creatives with incredible stories to tell. No doubt these projects will make important contributions to the national conversation.”

Filmmaking brothers Luke and Daniel Riches is the other successful team that will explore First Nations ‘truth-telling’ through Tiger Shark Dreaming, which tells the story of two young, emerging Bardi leaders as they search of one of Australia’s most elusive predators — the tiger shark or Gundarr.

“This opportunity presented itself and we were gripped by the abundant possibilities that will expand our storytelling capability,” Luke and Daniel Riches said.

“We believe this industry will continue to grow each year and as it becomes more accessible to audiences, and we hope to make First Nations stories a contributing part.”

The First Nations VR Documentary Initiative is designed to uncover distinctive WA First Nations voices, support their career progression and enable practitioners to explore new storytelling mediums and markets.