Blackstar Sanctuary


Extended Reality

Blackstar Sanctuary (2024) is a virtual reality film that immerses viewers in a Black queer ancient Egyptian temple complex. Populated with deities from Myth-Science of the Gatekeepers, the film presents an imaginal world of the gatekeepers, queer spiritual mediators in many indigenous African traditions who bridge the physical and spiritual realms. Guided by a Rainbow Serpent over the course of an allegorical day, viewers are brought through a ritual of transformation and rebirth in this expansive sacred space. Blackstar Sanctuary serves as a call for the revival of queer ancestral traditions and animates a pantheon of deities for the contemporary Black LGBTQ+ community.

Creative Director: Marques Redd

Art Director: Mikael Owunna

3D Artist: Devin Smith

Sound Design: Cristii & Jabez Walsh

Blackstar Sanctuary was made possible with support of The Frank Ratchye Studio for Creative Inquiry and the Carnegie Mellon University Extended Reality Technology Center.