The Jetlagged | Photo: Stefan Schmidtbauer, ZMT

07.11.2018 |  The underwater film “Coral Reefs – Life Below the Surface”, which was shot in 360° as part of a research project at ZMT, has won an award at an international film festival in Belgrade. The jury at the SILENTLY 6th Underwater Movie Festival and Competition crowned the movie “The best of the best”.

Filmmakers Claudia and Hendrik Schmitt from "The Jetlagged" received the exciting news shortly after giving a talk at ZMT’s CAPTURE Colloqium last week. They filmed the short movie for a research project by ZMT’s Dr. Katie Nelson, who wanted to find out if virtual reality could help to increase the willingness to donate for the protection of coral reefs.

Using VR headsets she and her team took study participants on a dive through the coral triangle in Southeast Asia, one of the world's most biodiverse marine regions. Two different virtual dives, produced by the filmmakers, illustrate the beauty of this underwater landscape, but also show what it could look like in the future if no investment is made to ensure its protection.