No Place But Here

In Woodstock, South Africa, a group of local citizens, led by women, took occupation of two large, abandoned buildings in order to make them habitable for the most disadvantaged members of the community. This event in 2017 marked the beginning of the ‘Reclaim the City’ movement. No Place But Here, a ‘360-degree documentary’, uses virtual-reality technology to immerse us within the living spaces that have been created in this situation. With a steady gaze and a panoramic vista, the camera calmly records, without undue intervention, daily activities and testimonies. Even traditional ‘talking heads’ interviews are visually woven into the architectural affordances of the site. Directors Valley and Nisenson aim for maximum empathy and identification with these everyday heroes of the ongoing struggle against gentrification, power and money.

 

– Adrian Martin