Luxembourg VR film shows discrimination by children’s eyes

Most children actually notice very quickly when someone is treated unfairly. But what if you have discrimination? After all, children are considered the reflection of their parents and take them as a model. Do you later act unethical, immoral and unfair?

The Luxembourg « Virtual Reality » work « La Maison de Poupée » (international title « The Dollhouse ») picks up exactly this idea. From the eyes of a child, the almost 30-minute film, which one experiences through VR glasses, describes from a domestic help that is exploited and marginalized by their employers.

The narrator is the nine -year -old Juniper, whose parents Magnolia hire at home. The woman lives with the family under one roof, but must not take part in life together – she is only there for cleaning and tidying up.

While Juniper cannot fully understand her parents’ reactions and rules at first, she gradually mimics her parents, takes her behavior as a principle: Magnolia is excluded and used like a doll. But can Juniper reflect on your behavior?

Precarious location of migrant domestic workers

The creative minds behind « La Maison de Poupée », which competes at the Cannes Film Festival in the « Immersive competition », are the Luxembourg Charlotte Bruneau and the Canadian Dominic Desjardin.

In a short conversation in the Carlton Hotel on the Croisette, where all immersive works can currently be seen, Bruneau emphasizes that it was particularly important to them to tell a universal history. So not to anchor the story in a certain culture. Rather, it is about generally drawn attention to the precarious situation of migrant home employees.

In any case, “La Maison de Poupée” is visually appealing – also in comparison to other works shown in the competition, such as “La Fille Qui Explate”. Everything seems so innocent at first: the participants are in the lovingly furnished children’s room from Juniper. This facility is not only visible through the VR glasses, it is also real.

Finally, a paper house made of paper piles up in front of the viewers. The place where the whole story of Juniper and Magnolia takes place. The animated images that should consciously remind children of children on paper are simple and yet loving and detailed.

Celebrate new forms of (film) art

Last year, the Cannes Film Festival organized the « Immersive Competition », a category in which « Virtual Reality » installations, « Mixed reality » experiences as well as video paper and holographic works are shown. The continued existence of the competition shows that this type of filmmaking is becoming increasingly important.

However, as was specified at the press time on Tuesday afternoon, it is not about emphasizing a certain type of technology and art, but celebrating a new form of (film) art.

As early as 2024, Luxembourg was represented in the « immersive competition » – at that time « The Roaming », a mixture between immersive, participatory theater and « virtual reality ». Both this article and « La Maison de Poupée » were produced by the Luxembourg Film Society Wild Films.

Outside of the competition, the Film Festival Luxembourg focuses particularly onbecause five works are presented here, which were created in the Grand Duchy or in a collaboration with Luxembourg. Among other things, the touching work « Ceci Est Mon Coeur » (A_Bahn) by Nicolas Blies and Stéphane Hueber-Blies is located, in which the participating shining vests wear.