Chinese Immersive Work ‘The Pigeon Ring’ Moves International Audiences at Venice Film Festival
Dragon Media News Desk
On a small island near Venice’s Lido in Italy, international visitors are putting on virtual reality headsets and stepping into a Chinese story that explores family, memory and the emotional bonds between generations.
The Chinese immersive work “The Pigeon Ring,” selected for the Venice Immersive competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, has drawn strong interest from overseas audiences, with viewers lining up outside the screening venue to experience the production.
Established in 2016, Venice Immersive is an official section of the prestigious film festival and has developed into one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to immersive arts and media. It features extended reality works ranging from immersive video and virtual and mixed reality experiences to virtual worlds and interactive installations.
Directed by Zhang Yuqi and Tao Shixin, “The Pigeon Ring” tells the story of a granddaughter who accompanies her grandfather back to their old family home in search of a lost pigeon ring.
What begins as an apparently ordinary family journey gradually unfolds into a deeply emotional exploration of memory, companionship, affection and the bonds connecting different generations.
According to the directors, most of the people who have experienced the work in recent days have been international visitors. Many foreign viewers were moved to tears after the experience.
Zhang and Tao said the response suggests that the story has touched emotions that people from different cultural backgrounds can recognize and relate to in their own lives.
Michel Reilhac, co-curator of Venice Immersive, described “The Pigeon Ring” as a “very moving” work.
Rather than relying on a grand narrative or spectacular visual scenes, the production focuses on the intimate story of an ordinary family while generating a powerful emotional impact.
Reilhac noted that the strength of the work lies not in special effects but in the emotional heart of the story itself. This, he said, helps make Chinese creative works accessible and meaningful to international audiences.
Advanced technology has also played an important role in shaping the immersive experience.
Liz Rosenthal, co-curator of Venice Immersive, highlighted the use of Gaussian splatting, an advanced three-dimensional rendering technique, in “The Pigeon Ring,” describing its application as particularly innovative.
According to Rosenthal, the technology allows audiences to enter the narrative in a way that feels almost like stepping directly into a film, creating a stronger sense of presence and emotional involvement.
Reilhac also praised China’s rapid progress in artificial intelligence, robotics and other digital technologies, saying the country’s forward-looking technological development is enabling creators to produce increasingly sophisticated immersive works.
He additionally commended the development of young creative talent at Chinese universities. Recalling a recent visit to the Shanghai Theatre Academy, Reilhac said he was impressed by the openness of young Chinese artists and creators toward international cooperation.
Alongside “The Pigeon Ring,” several works by young Chinese artists are being presented in the festival’s immersive section this year. Some of the participating creators are still university students.
Reilhac said it is important for Venice Immersive to present new voices and emerging artists alongside established creators, providing younger generations with opportunities to reach global audiences.
The growing presence of young Chinese creators at Venice reflects how a new generation is combining technology, art and storytelling to communicate directly with audiences around the world.
The international reception of “The Pigeon Ring” also demonstrates that advanced technology alone is not enough to carry a story across cultural boundaries. Human emotions, family relationships and shared experiences remain equally important.
The emotional response from international audiences in Venice offers a positive indication of the growing global potential of Chinese immersive storytelling, where technological innovation and deeply human narratives are increasingly coming together on the world stage.
