Australian Geographic is starting off a nationwide tour for its exhibition Our Country: 360° Cinematic Experience. Vivid and colourful, 40 screens surround the audiences in the exhibition as we bear witness to Australia’s incredible wildlife curated by the award-winning producer Karina Holden.
The audience first goes through a tunnel, recreated to look like the night sky full of stars. They are then introduced to the main hall with all the screens. The sound effects were good, with even the shots of the trembling sand being accompanied by the sand’s soft blowing. The videography of marine life was unbelievable, truly capturing what most of mankind may never even know of. The shots of snow were also lovely, and the beauty of the animals that appeared in the exhibition truly stood out. I was also particularly entranced by the cloud and sky imagery. The land shots were amazing, of course, but the other shots truly offered a new glimpse into Australian nature that most civilians have never seen.
Intriguingly, no humans appeared until the very end of the film, after jarring shots of wildfires in Australia. It was poignant in that sense. But it was also incredible how none of the other shots, covering such large amounts of area, had not one human present. It is a captivating reminder of how some parts of nature are still untouched by humans.
A warning to those with epilepsy – some flashing scenes with lightning appear quite suddenly. For those with young kids, this exhibition is a great way to introduce them to nature and Australian wildlife; the children at the exhibition were all fascinated by the multitude of screens and constantly ran around to look at the different scenes. Beanbags are also present in the hall for a comfier experience.
Our Country launches 11 March. For more information, visit here.
