Synopsis
Mine Land is an immersive VR installation that confronts audiences with the invisible legacy of war through the dangerous work of mine clearance in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In a peaceful looking forest, former enemies now work side by side as deminers, clearing deadly remnants from a war that ended thirty years ago.

The Experience
Audiences step into a recreated minefield: barrier tapes, scattered leaves, and authentic tools. Equipped with a VR headset, bulletproof vest, and haptic feedback, users kneel beside deminers and trained dogs, performing real clearance steps, sweeping with metal detectors, probing the soil, and facing the tense moment of discovery.

Storytelling
Layered narratives reveal deminers' personal histories, including former soldiers now dismantling the very mines they once laid. When a mine is found, the visuals shift into stark black-and-white flashbacks, exposing the past hidden beneath the soil.

Even decades after conflicts, landmines still claim lives. With new wars producing fresh minefields, and recent withdrawals from global mine-ban treaties, Mine Land asks: when is a war really over?

Presentations

CREDITS

Voice-over: Amir
3D artist - Environment & Assets: Jacco Kooistra
Sound and Music Design: Cesi Nolten
Technical advice: Niek Heemskerk
Local fixer: Ensar Halilović
Coach: Nienke Huitenga Broeren

With the support of CBK Rotterdam (development), Creative Industries Fund NL and the Netherlands Film Fund (development), Mondriaan Fund and special thanks to Norwegian People's Aid and the demining team in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Besides the VR, an audio documentary is being developed through the Press Play program from Fonds Bijzondere Journalistiek.

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