A 360° immersive film honouring the Girmityas — the indentured labourers who crossed oceans and built new worlds — premieres on YouTube this Thursday at 2:30pm BST.
On 14 May 1879, the first ship carrying indentured labourers from India landed in Fiji. The workers called their indenture contract their Girmit — a corruption of the English word "agreement" — and from that moment, a people and a diaspora were made. This Thursday 14 May at 1430 GMT, we mark that anniversary with the world premiere of Girmit: a 360° film that puts you inside that history. Step inside Girmit and discover the journeys of the Girmityas with this immersive experience created by Nutkhut with global partners and creative freelancers."These were real people — our ancestors — who were uprooted, transported across oceans and bound to a life they had not chosen. We wanted to create something that could not be merely watched, but felt: a space where the audience stands inside the Girmityas' journey, not outside it."
— Ajay Chhabra, Concept & Artistic Director
Girmit was created by Nutkhut in collaboration with James Edward Marks and PlayLa.Bz and under the creative direction of Patrick Morgan. The piece weaves together Tilt Brush virtual reality paintings by Lorna Inman, original composition by Jack Hyde, SubPac soundscapes by Steve Snooks, and poetry by Professor Satendra Nandan, voiced by Dr Shama Rahman — together aiming to give audiences a felt sense of the human stories behind indentured labour.
The Gifts of the Girmityas (extract)Professor Satendra NandanYou gave us the gift of a journey And made us friends we knew not In a single step, a silent knot— You bound our lives to so many.You are our glory, our deepest grief You are the poems of a living land— Giving meaning to every grain of sand And to every beloved tree a green leaf
The film is available to watch free on YouTube in full 360° — navigable on desktop, mobile, or VR headset. To discover more about the project, the artists and the history, visit girmit.world.