Embodied Simulation originates from the discovery of "mirror neurons," which are activated when we perform an action or see someone else performing it. This mechanism applies not only to actions but also to emotional and sensory experiences. Gallese and Guerra (2012) noted that films activate the viewer’s mirror neurons through visual, auditory, and emotional means, allowing viewers to "experience" the plot of the film. Through embodied simulation, viewers resonate with the film on both physiological and emotional levels as if they are physically present in the scene. Compared to traditional screen films, Cinematic Virtual Reality (CVR) offers a more realistic embodied experience. Laura Marks, in her book The Skin of the Film, likened a camera’s interaction with objects to a person running their hands over the film’s skin (2000). In CVR, viewers not only have a visual line that can touch objects, but from a first-person perspective, we are allowed to physically touch virtual objects. This sensation is extraordinary, where we physically touch objects yet do not touch them. I will use Carne y Arena (2018) as an example to interpret the practical application of embodied experience and sensory theories in CVR. Unfortunately, a complete video of Carne y Arena (2018) is unavailable online, so the following analysis is based on the trailer, related reviews, and reports of audience experiences.

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Official Trailer of Carne y Arena (2018)

Carne y Arena (2018) is a CVR production by Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu. Carne y Arena employs VR technology to place viewers in the perilous journey of illegal immigrants attempting to cross the US-Mexico border, aiming to make viewers feel the extreme environmental and emotional pressures faced by the immigrants.

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According to a blog post, "Oscar Special VR Work Carne y Arena Special Sounds Special Work" (https://www.sohu.com/a/210847576_301624), professionals describe the beginning of Carne y Arena as follows: "I rushed towards the bushes, trying to touch them, but there was nothing, which was unsettling and took a minute or two to get used to." The attempt to touch stems from the realistic portrayal of the environment, making viewers feel as though they are in that setting, thus creating the desire to touch. The unsettling feeling is the fear brought about by embodied simulation, where even though one cannot physically touch anything, the brain still believes these objects might exist, thus generating real sensory experiences through digital imagery. Touch connects personal and collective memories, thus being especially important in expressing trauma and memory.

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"Then, walking out of the mountains, a group of human figures approaches you, though they do not notice your presence. These figures are Mexican smugglers, in poor shape, staggering, carrying children, their footsteps barely audible." Sound is another crucial method by which film media creates sensory and emotional experiences. Laura Marks argues that there is a close relationship between touch and sound, with viewers feeling sounds with their bodies (2000, p183), making the viewer and the cinematic text permeable. Hearing the footsteps, viewers physically (through their ears) feel the approach of people, blurring the line between reality and illusion, gradually eliminating the boundary between the viewer and the text, as if they are placed within the environment. "The smugglers are held at gunpoint, 'Get down, get down,' a border patrol officer shouts urgently nearby, and as the smugglers squat in the mud, my knees buckle, joining them, my throat tries to speak but produces no sound. I subconsciously lower my head, the sound is so realistic, it feels like it's happening right now." Again, the realism of the sound generates real sensory and emotional experiences, a unique presence offered by CVR. At this moment, cross-cultural personal memories connect with the audience, who feels the helplessness and fear of being a refugee.

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Another CVR piece I have watched that uses sound as a narrative theme is Kusunda (2021), which depicts the struggle and hope of cultural inheritance through the story of an elderly Kusunda language speaker and her granddaughter. The main interaction involves the granddaughter learning and disseminating the Kusunda language in an attempt to save this cultural heritage. In the text, following the Kusunda language is a major part of the interaction. Language, as an essential element of cross-cultural memory, engages the viewer physically with the text through the real utterance of the language, allowing the viewer to emotionally participate in the cross-cultural text.

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The making of Kusunda(2021)

 

In conclusion, CVR’s effectiveness in conveying memory and trauma in cross-cultural themes partly stems from the sensory experiences brought about by embodied simulation. Such sensory experiences enhance the emotional engagement of viewers, linking personal and collective memories.

 

 

 

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Bibliography​

Gallese, V. and Guerra, M., 2012. Embodying movies: Embodied simulation and film studies. Cinema: Journal of Philosophy and the Moving Image, (3), pp.183-210.
Mulvey, L., 2006. Visual pleasure and narrative cinema. Media and cultural studies: Keyworks, pp.342-352.

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Industrial Light & Magic, 2018. CARNE y ARENA (Virtually present, Physically invisible) - Trailer.10 June . Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF-focK30WE [Accessed 20 August 2024]

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​StudioNICE, 2021. The making of KUSUNDA. 23 August. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZAuwhMmq98 [Accessed 20 August 2024]