Iopu Auva'a

Shayda, a young Iranian woman living in Australia, finds refuge in a women’s shelter with her 6-year-old daughter, Mona. Having fled her husband, Hossein, and filed for divorce, Shayda struggles to maintain normalcy for Mona. Buoyed by the approach of Nowruz, she tries to forge a fresh start with new and unfettered freedoms. But when a judge grants Hossein visitation rights, he reenters their life, stoking Shayda’s fear that he’ll attempt to take Mona back to Iran.

Moment and memory blend as you bear witness to a Samoan rite of passage. IOPU takes you behind the curtain of a resplendent theatre as you follow a queer Samoan-Australian performer who is about to take the stage. Through drama, dress and dance, this VR experience explores the themes of alienation, acceptance and finding our own tribe.