How Virtual Reality is bringing the war to our homes | Gayatri Parameswaran | TEDxBITSGoa

Our lives are shaped and governed by our senses- by what we see, hear and touch. What we experience virtually, can hence transform our reality. Gayatri Parameswaran, an award-winning filmmaker and journalist, found her calling in the new and exciting field of virtual reality. In this talk, Gayatri showcases the immense power of VR to create change. She demonstrates her use of various equipment to realistically recreate a war torn home, in order to make her audiences understand the tragic battleground that families have to survive in. She has also used immersive technologies to explore intimate and taboo topics such as peace, intimate partner violence and abortion. Gayatri's immersive works have been exhibited at the Venice International Film Festival, SXSW, HotDocs, United Nations, Zentrum für Kunst und Medien, Bergen International Film Festival and beyond. An Erasmus Mundus Scholar with an MA in journalism, and a Gold Medalist as a Bachelor of Mass Media at the University of Mumbai, Gayatri Parameswaran has documented under-reported issues in over 25 countries. She has dealt with issues like witch hunting in India, the war raging in Syria, politics in Myanmar and slavery in Iraq to name a few. With human rights and the environment as her area of focus, she aims to educate the public about the harsh realities of life. Gayatri uses the emerging power of VR to get her messages across and is a part of Oculus VR for Good Creator’s Lab 2017. Her work has appeared in international media outlets such as Al Jazeera English, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Weekendavisen and The Caravan and she has been nominated for the Venice Award for Best Virtual Reality. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at

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