"The World Came Flooding in" is an immersive virtual reality documentary and extended reality installation that offers a unique and deeply empathetic perspective on the human and social consequences of devastating floods. This project, conceived and meticulously developed by Australian artists Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine, moves beyond traditional news coverage to allow audiences to experience the profound loss and resilience of flood survivors firsthand. Presented at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, it transforms the abstract concept of natural disaster into a personal and emotional journey, highlighting the rich inner world that endures even when material possessions are swept away.
Rotterdam Film Festival Features VR Documentary on Flood Trauma
In January 2026, at the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), a groundbreaking immersive experience titled "The World Came Flooding in" made its debut as part of the Art Directions program at Katoenhuis. This innovative VR documentary and extended reality installation, spearheaded by Australian creators Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine, aims to convey the deeply personal impact of the 2022 Eastern Australia floods.
The core of the experience is a 20-minute virtual reality segment where participants don a VR headset to enter the digitally reconstructed homes of three flood survivors: Antoinette, Marina, and Tom. These individuals, though geographically separated, share their intimate stories of loss and resilience. Viewers can freely explore these virtual environments, discovering personal details like a haiku on a refrigerator, and experiencing the simulation of rising floodwaters, offering a visceral understanding of the natural disaster's power. The experience also includes interactive elements post-VR, such as miniature sets of the homes with QR codes linking to audio commentaries and hologram representations of the storytellers, along with "memory postcards" from other survivors.
The project's genesis involved extensive community workshops where flood-affected individuals shared their memories and losses through paper craft and photography, enabling Knowles and Sowerwine to identify the compelling narratives featured in the documentary. The artists then painstakingly recreated these homes in miniature, using photogrammetry to translate them into a life-sized virtual reality space. The meticulous two-year creative process culminated in an emotionally resonant and transformative experience, designed to evoke empathy and prompt reflection on the climate emergency.
This pioneering documentary stands as a testament to the transformative power of immersive storytelling. By allowing individuals to virtually step into the lives and homes of flood survivors, "The World Came Flooding in" cultivates a profound sense of empathy that traditional media often struggles to achieve. The experience underscores the urgent need to understand and address the human cost of climate change, emphasizing that while physical structures may be lost, the resilience of the human spirit and the meaning embedded in memories can never be truly washed away. It serves as a powerful reminder that even in the face of overwhelming adversity, hope and inner strength can prevail, urging us all to consider our own connection to the rapidly changing world around us.
