It has been one full year since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic that has and still is greatly affecting everyone around the world. Everyone has gone through struggles during this time of crisis from losing loved ones to dealing with the personal struggles of being isolated. These are frightening times and there are still many unknowns when it comes to what the future has in store. It is safe to say that what was once considered normal has changed drastically within the past year.
I wanted this mini documentary to commemorate this difficult time in history and showcase that although our individual experiences might be different we still are experiencing some of the same emotions. That being said, I reached out to a number of friends in different locations to tell their story of their pandemic experience. The interviews were conducted over zoom since everyone is in different locations and we can’t exactly talk face to face just yet. The interviews were extremely casual and allowed for the participants to voice their personal feelings and opinions about this whole situation, from the beginning of the pandemic to a year later. Not only did I want to check-in with these friends but I wanted to understand what they have been through and how they have handled this total upheaval of life. Everyone handled this situation differently yet feelings of anger, isolation, sadness, and confusion were some common feelings shared by the interviewees. This goes to show that what we are feeling individually is also felt by others during this time. I want to give a special thanks to Cade Cannedy, Tristan Padilla, Elizabeth Sochka, Lindsey (Dot) Meyers, Katja Knudsen, Kaya Stein, and Michelle Chan who helped me create this video.
As for the video itself, I wanted to create a compilation of both interviews and footage relating to before the start of the pandemic to a year later. The footage in the background of the interview was used to subtly show the progression of normal life to pandemic life and the start of vaccine distribution. Each interview was around thirty minutes each so I combed through each, sometimes multiple times, to find the most interesting or surprising statements from the participants. I was surprised how open and willing each participant was to talk about their feelings and what they have been through during this difficult time. That human element of conversation and similar experiences is what I wanted to portray in this video. I realize that I could have made an individual video for each of the participants but the compilation of their testimonies worked perfectly in tandem with each other.
It is my hope that you, the viewer, will identify with this video to some degree and realize that you are not alone in this pandemic struggle.
