XR and Documentary
Julia Scott-Stevenson · Oxford University Press eBooks · 2025
Abstract This chapter examines the rapidly evolving field of extended reality (XR) documentary media. It details the development of the field and considers the key technological and social drivers for documentary XR and how they intersect with tensions between representing reality and offering experiential exploration. Humanitarian XR, a significant subgenre of works, is explored, and the broader cultural landscape encompassing power relationships between makers, funders, and the technology platforms is presented as ripe for deeper enquiry. A number of examples of XR documentaries are presented to illustrate technological affordances, and suggestions are offered for scholarship and practice that claim a space in XR for documentary.