Kusunda

Kusunda

Installation

Information

KUSUNDA is an interactive virtual reality experience that explores what makes a language fall asleep and what it takes to wake one up. Lil Bahadur, an indigenous Kusunda shaman, is resigned to the fact that he has forgotten his mother tongue, while his granddaughter Hema is determined to revitalise the language.
International title
Kusunda
Release date
06/08/2021
Synopsis
KUSUNDA is an interactive virtual reality (VR) experience about the sleeping Kusunda language in western Nepal. Co-created by Kusunda shaman Lil Bahadur and his granddaughter Hima, this intergenerational story invites you to support the challenging task of revitalising a dormant indigenous language. Every two weeks a language falls asleep. Most languages at threat belong to indigenous communities such as Kusunda in Nepal. The Kusunda language has been categorised by linguists as a language isolate, meaning it’s unrelated to any other language family of the world. Due to their nomadic way of life, the Kusunda call themselves “Kings of the Forest.” Currently there are only about 150 people in Nepal who identify as Kusunda. Lil Bahadur lost his mother tongue when he gave up his hunter gatherer lifestyle to settle in the village. “I spoke the Kusunda language until I was eighteen years old. After [my parents] died the language slowly faded away. I forgot Kusunda when I was separated from my group and had to travel alone. Later I met other people and started speaking the Nepali Khas language,” he says with a sense of resignation. Lil’s granddaughter Hima, a bright teenager detached from her grandfather’s hunter-gatherer identity, represents a different Kusunda identity and is taking on the challenge to revive her mother tongue. “If the Kusunda language disappears then the existence of the Kusunda people in Nepal will also fade away. We’ll lose our identity. That’s why I want to save our language.” KUSUNDA will include voice interactions to allow users to ‘unlock’ and progress to different parts of the narrative. Therefore, users will learn and speak words in Kusunda throughout the VR experience. This act not only prevents the language from falling silent, it also triggers AI enabled voice based interactions which carve the user’s path through the narrative, unlocking storyworlds related to the specific words.
URL
https://www.speaktoawaken.nowheremedia.net/kusunda
Thematics
Culture and artsDocumentaryMyths / Traditions
Technology(ies) used
3D animationInteractivityPhotogrammetryVolumetric capture
Production company(ies)
NowHere Media, INVR, FASAD, Poke Poke, Züricher Hochschule der Künste
Country(ies)
GermanyNepalSwedenSwitzerland

Distribution Strategy

Device(s) compatibility
HTC Vive ProOculus RiftOculus Rift S
Number of user(s)
Single-user experience
Play area
IndoorSeated (360° chair)
Distribution strategy
Art museums & galleriesCulture & ethnographic museumsDigital art centersFestival, Art fairs
Main Achievements (Prize, Selection, where the project has been already distributed)
idfa 2021 (Official DocLab Selection), Venice Film Festival 2021 (Official Selection), Raindance Immersive 2021 (Nominee Best Documentary Experience), Tribec Festival 2021 (Storyscapes Award)

Team

First and last name(s) of the Lead artist(s)
Gayatri Parameswaran, Felix Gaedtke
First and last name(s) of producer(s)
Gayatri Parameswaran, Felix Gaedtke, René Pinnell, Sönke Kirchhof, Philipp Wenning, Emma Creed, Aliki Tsakoumi, Kuan-Yuan Lai
Main cast
Gyani Maiya Kusunda, Hima Kusunda, Lil Bahadur Kusunda
NowHere MediaNowHere Media is a multi-award winning studio in Berlin designing virtual and augmented reality experiences, powered by evocative storytelling. We work with film production companies, nonprofits, media organisations and brand partners to create impactful stories that inspire and engage global audiences. Our work finds itself at the intersection of art, technology and social change. Founders Felix Gaedtke and Gayatri Parameswaran have backgrounds in journalism and believe in the power of stories to transform. We specialise in the fields of human rights, conflict, social justice and the climate crisis. From covering the war in Syria to chasing snow leopards in the Himalayas, we’re trained for productions in hostile and challenging environments. We handle our productions with extreme care. We value quality over quantity, and understand diversity in all its forms to be an asset. All our pieces are born out of co-creative and collaborative processes. For each project, we carefully curate teams to meet specific needs for immersive design -- photogrammetry, volumetric capture, animation, spatial sound, interactivity or multisensory installations.

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