BBC marks Armistice Day with free VR film, Nothing to be Written, on the Oculus Store

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A Chelsea Pensioner watches Nothing to be Written, a VR film about the First World War

Ahead of this weekend’s 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, the BBC’s VR Hub has launched VR film Nothing to be Written free of charge on the Oculus store. 

Transporting viewers one hundred years into the past as they face the impact of First World War on both the frontline and in the family home, Nothing to be Written is produced by BBC VR Hub and created jointly by composer Anna Meredith and 59 Productions.

It takes viewers on a highly emotive journey through the anxiety of waiting for news of loved ones and the violence and horror of the trenches and hospitals on the front line. 

Both the music and the film take inspiration from the field postcard, a method of communication during the First World War which didn’t require censoring.

This meant soldiers could communicate with their families quickly, but at the expense of detail, choosing instead from a selection stock phrases like “I am quite well” or “I have been admitted into hospital” and applying their signature.

Barbican audiences can watch the VR production throughout Armistice weekend, 10-11 November, as part of the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Total Immersion: In Remembrance World War I – a weekend of films, talks, and performances that explore the cultural legacy of the Great War. The drop-in event will run from 12-8pm on Saturday and 12-5pm on Sunday.

In addition, this weekend it’s also being shown at St David’s Hall in Cardiff and will be available to see in libraries across the country, including Salisbury Library and Galleries, Taunton Library, Plympton Library, Skipton Library, Oldham Library, Oxfordshire County Library and Chorley Library. 

Nothing to be Written is available free on the Oculus Store, and can be viewed on the Oculus Go.

Chris Price
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