Beirut blast documentary premieres in the UAE Metaverse

A 50-minute documentary, "Beirut After the Blast," premiered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on September 1, immersing the audience in a virtual reality experience of the Beirut port blast that occured some two years ago. 

The film is not intended to be political. Instead, the goal is to tell the stories of the humanitarian crisis - beyond the physical and into the emotional.

On August 4th, 2020, almost three thousand tons of explosive ammonium nitrate ignited in Beirut port. The stores had been left at the port since 2013 and were not adequately protected. As a result, more than 200 people were killed, and thousands were injured. The blast also destroyed the homes of over a quarter of a million.

"Beirut After the Blast" tells the story of the Lebanese victims demanding justice from their government, one accused of corruption and negligence that led to the tragedy.

Fahed Abu Salah, the director, aims to address the psychological trauma embedded in the city for the past two years.

"We wanted to document this event, so we won't forget it," Salah said. "We also wanted to know what happened two years after the blast and wondered whether this event would be forgotten."

The screening was also quite unique: it took place entirely in the Metaverse. 

Audience members wore virtual reality headsets and were completely immersed in the story.

"The people affected by the blast are still the same. They only painted and restored their houses," Salah continued. "True, the buildings look better than before, but people cannot forget this incident."

After the screening, the production company, an "NFT-backed crowdfunding platform," released a collection of NFTs in Lebanon's honor, with all profits being donated to those affected by the tragedy.