Voices of the corona crisis
Mood in the middle of the pandemic
The documentation "Voices of the Corona Crisis" shows how differently people deal with the pandemic.
© HISTORY / A + E Networks
Corona is changing the world as we know it. A new documentation summarizes the mood of the Germans in the pandemic.
On January 27, 2020, the health department informed the public about the first coronavirus case in Germany. On the occasion of this special anniversary, the pay TV channel History will be showing the self-produced documentary "Voices of the Corona Crisis" on January 28, 2021 at 7:25 p.m. The focus is on personal experiences and impressions of differently affected people, which have been processed chronologically. The documentary can be seen permanently on www.history.de from January 21st.
Experienced history
History initiated the "Corona – Alone Together" project as early as spring 2020 and called on its viewers to record special moments from the Corona period on video and submit them. "It was clear to us very early on that something big was happening here that had never been seen before. Something that would go down in the history books", explains Tom Block, author, director and producer of the new history documentary, in an interview with the news agency spot on news The idea behind it.
"We received numerous videos on a wide variety of topics and also scoured the internet for interesting stories." The result was ultimately a mood that shows "how differently one can perceive this pandemic and how differently people are affected."
This is how people experience the pandemic
The travel enthusiast Mike recorded his corona test on the street in a video. In the article, he waits in the car in front of his doctor's practice, who takes a smear in full protection. The test ultimately turns out positive. Later he describes his time in quarantine and how more and more friends want to teach him about conspiracy theories.
Incidentally, there were no videos of corona deniers or conspiracy theorists among the numerous submissions. "However, there are some videos that also deal critically with the corona measures," continues Block.
The story of the two brothers Julian and Nico Schmieder in particular sounds almost unbelievable. The two are on their way to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo by bike when the corona crisis breaks out. The return to Germany becomes an odyssey for her. In their contribution from the airport, they talk about their way back home.
The director was particularly touched by the video by Justin from Konstanz. As a commuter, he was released from his job in Switzerland at the beginning of the pandemic due to the border closings. On a walk he meets two sisters who spend time on the border between Germany and Switzerland – separated by a border fence.
"I travel a lot myself. Suddenly being so restricted by the border closings has certainly hit many people hard. In my opinion, the picture of the two sisters at the fence fits this topic very well." Other dominant topics such as home schooling, buying hamsters or existential fear are also reflected in the videos submitted.
Great corona hairstyles
In addition to the numerous goose bumps moments, the humor is not neglected either. "I was very happy when I stumbled upon Andreas Song," recalls Block. He sings about his "great Corona hairstyle" and serves as background music for a montage of various contributions on this topic.
Because one thing becomes particularly clear in the videos: The pandemic affects us all and many should recognize themselves in the contributions. "The crisis that we all have to overcome also offers the opportunity to grow closer together," says Block with certainty. "We reflect on the essentials and are increasingly looking for contact with the people who are important to us." He himself has spent the past few months in the home office with his girlfriend and was able to master the lockdown time well. "This crisis has welded us even closer together."
The documentation ends with the announcement of the world's first vaccines, which will be used from the second half of December. However, there is no end in sight to the crisis. It is not yet clear whether there will be a sequel. According to Block, there is certainly enough material.