CAST & CREW

The Holy City VR is the result of a lot of hard work by a group of talented professionals. The cast and crew were dedicated to creating something exceptional, original, and inspiring.

NIMROD SHANIT

Director & Producer

Nimrod Shanit, is an award winning director and producer of feature length fiction and non-fiction films. Nimrod is a veteran executive producer of international co-productions with France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Argentina and Ireland. He possess a deep understanding of the new metaphor of virtual reality technology and production, and has lead the development of the first completely integrated virtual reality production company in Israel. For more info visit blimey.tv. 

SEAN THOMAS EVANS

Executive Producer

Sean started his career as an animator and animation director and has delivered content to almost every major broadcaster in the world. Sean possesses extensive knowledge of both technical and delivery specifications and brings years of VFX and animation production experience in both commercial and long format to the table. Sean defines himself by his ability to consistently deliver complex creatives on time and on budget. For more info visit occupiedvr.com.

TIMUR MUSABY

Co-Director

Co-founder of Occupied VR, acclaimed music video director, and audio/visual engineer, Timur has also been an integral part of Toronto’s electronic music scene for well over a decade as a core member of AD/D and CiRCA – Peter Gatien’s legendary nightclub. He has been integrating analog video techniques from the past into this new medium of virtual reality.

FATHER SAMUEL AGHOYAN

The Protagonists

Father Samuel Aghoyan, Armenian superior at the Holy Sepulchre, was born in Aleppo, Syria, to an Armenian family. When he was 10 years old, a priest came to the city to examine the children of the community. Despite his bashfulness, he managed to impress the priest and be sent to Jerusalem. After 7 years, he was ordained a priest. In the 1970s he went to the U.S. to study accounting, knowing that one day he would return to his brothers in the Armenian Patriarchate, and retain his role and purpose in life. We follow Father Samuel during the preparations for the Holy Fire ceremony during Easter.

RABBI BARUCH BRANDWIN

The Protagonists

Rabbi Baruch Brandwein, grandson of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Geffner, is well-known throughout the city. Baruch guides the user between the introduction of Torah scrolls and the conducting of the priestly blessing at the Western Wall. The film accompanies him and his family in holiday preparations, an important time of year that culminates in a multidimensional ceremony at the Western Wall. Unlike his thirteen brothers and sisters, Baruch did not establish his own family. Instead, he chose to dedicate all his energies and efforts to the benefit of others.

HAJ IBRAHIM ABU EL-HAWA

The Protagonists

Hajj Ibrahim Ahmad Abu El-Hawa, a Muslim-Sufi, opened his home a few decades ago in a testament of peace, and word spread around the world. Visitors from all nationalities and religions were welcomed, many of them with troubling life stories. Today he continues to invite guests he has gathered on the streets of Jerusalem, out of a desire to bring people together. During the Ramadan he descends down from his home on the Mount of Olives and joins thousands in their nightly prayer at the Al Aqsa mosque.

YAFIT REUVENY

Experimental Sound Artist

A renowned experimental sound artist that creates audio tours around the city using field recordings as her paintbrush. The rest of the time, Yafit is an instructor for at risk youth working with both Jew and Muslim children in need of guidance and support.

MISHAL ALAM

Senior VR Developer

Mishal is a Senior VR Developer at Occupied VR. He possesses skill sets across the board to provide both visually appealing and compelling content and experiences in the traditional real-time interactive medium as well as in real-time Virtual Reality.

CASIE STEWART

Content Director

Casie Stewart is an award-winning content creator and expert in digital media. Documenting her life since 2005 via her blog ‘This is My Life,’ she’s been at the forefront of brand storytelling through influencer marketing. Casie is represented by the National Speakers Bureau of Canada and has previously spoken at TEDx, SXSW, NXNE, CMW, YouTube Canada, and for the United Nations Association of Canada. She also works as a Director at 1188 Films, a multidisciplinary creative studio in Toronto.

WILLIAM MCMASTER

Technical director

Will oversaw the creation and implementation of a world-class 3d scanning pipeline, including the acquisition of scan data, and overseeing the ingestion and processing of nearly 80k stills and over 250 laser scans.

HELENA GRIGORIAN

UNITY PROGRAMMER

Unity3D developer specializing in VR/AR development, graphics, lighting, audio, VFX, Vuforia, C# and Java Script. Lena is customizing the XR version of The Holy City to LBEs worldwide.

OURY ATLAN

UNITY DESIGNER

Oury Atlan, is a leading 3D artist and animation director. Oury was responsible for designing and animating the moving and compelling cinematic scenes that compile The Holy City.