Here's the latest machinima new report by Draxtor Despres on "Kansas to Cairo," a project that brings together architecture students from Egypt and the United States to collaborate together in Second Life. This one profiles 20-year old Egyptian student Nourhan. In it, she talks about why Second Life is not the ideal venue for 3d modelling, but it's "very perfect" for collaboration.
I wanted to know more about why Nourhan, a Muslim woman who in real life wears a head covering and dresses modestly, decided to dress her avatar in a more form fitting dress and without a head covering. She implies that Second Life is not about her physical presence, it's about people connecting with their minds and spirits: "it's just human nature."
More about the "Kansas to Cairo" project on America.gov. A fuller documentary about the project is coming in November 2010.