Diversion lands Venice winner – Variety

Paris-based XR distributor Diversion Cinema picked up two award-winning titles, adding director Singing Chen’s ‘The Man Who Couldn’t Leave’, as well as director Thierry Loa’s ’21-22 China’ and its sequel ’21 -22 USA” to a top-of-the-range catalog of prestigious immersive prices.

Produced by The Walkers Films and Outland Film Production, ‘The Man Who Couldn’t Leave’ won top prize at Venice Immersive last year and will premiere in competition at this year’s NewImages Festival. Directed with aplomb by Singing Chen, the harrowing docudrama tells the story of political repression in mid-century Taiwan, filling a 360-degree screen with beautiful chiaroscuro compositions supporting classic cinematic language.

“’The Man Who Couldn’t Leave’ is an instant classic,” says Paul Bouchard, Acquisitions Manager at Diversion. “With stunning visual sophistication, this ode to freedom reaches levels of embodiment never seen before while offering proof that the 360-degree narrative experience can still deliver something powerful and immersive.”

“Diversion Cinema remains faithful to the 360 ​​format,” continues Bouchard. “And so distributing this project was an obvious choice. We want to bring this masterpiece to the widest possible audience.

Winner of the Panorama VR prize at the FNC Explore last year, and the Digital Storytelling prize at the Fipadoc international documentary festival last January, “21-22 China” by Thierry Loa is the first in a three-part series that explores the current geological epoch defined by human intervention. “21-22 China” and the follow-up to the American set both offer overarching and somewhat meditative 360-degree investigations into changing landscapes.

Produced, like its predecessor, by Montreal studio HelloHello, Loa’s “21-22 USA” will be released later this year.

Launched in 2016, Diversion Cinema has become one of XR’s premier distributors with a carefully curated catalog that celebrates premium interactive and 360-degree experiences. For several months, the French structure has been developing its Fulldome catalog, a selection of 14 artistic and creative experiences designed for planetariums and domed rooms.

“We believe there is growing interest in this format,” says Han Nguyen of Diversion. “Especially given the presence of a Fulldome program for the first time at this year’s NewImages.