‘Coronamore’ short film: relatable moments captured in different types of art

The cultural student associations have made a short film about romance in pandemic times. It was shown in the Erasmus Pavilion last Thursday. The film follows Kate and Anna, two students who meet during the pandemic and build a close relationship despite the restrictions and their differing opinions on the government’s stance on how to handle the coronavirus crisis.

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Everyone who has been single this past year and a half knows how hard it can be to meet someone during a pandemic. ‘Walking dates’, awkward Facetime calls, and the question as to whether or not to comply with socials distancing rules when you first meet… All these things are touched on in this short film about dating during a pandemic.

The project was initiated by the board of the cultural platform with which all of Erasmus University’s cultural associations are affiliated. In its turn, this platform is affiliated with Studium Generale. “It was kind of hard for us not to be able to get on stage this year due to the coronavirus crisis,” says Angelika Geronymaki, who was hired by the platform to direct the film. “Despite the situation we wanted to provide the students with a platform. That’s how we came up with the idea for the film.”

“We chose this subject because many students have lately experienced how hard it can be to meet someone during a pandemic. The film presents many relatable and typical moments: remote first dates, face masks, the arguments you may have about the extent to which you comply with the rules. For instance, the film starts with a meeting between several people who are against face masks, and the second scene shows a video call.”

Improvisation

The associations themselves also had to deal with the coronavirus-related restrictions during the rehearsals for and recording of the film. “We first began rehearsing in late May,” says Angelika. “Although the coronavirus spike was past its peak, we still had to wear face masks and keep our distance. Thankfully, certain exceptions are made for rehearsals. If you’re playing a scene, you can stand close to each other. Of course, we made sure to take into account the wishes of everyone involved.”

“During the rehearsals, we only got an outline of the script, with a few ideas for particular scenes. While rehearsing we would then try to figure out how to go about these scenes. In other words, we largely improvised the movie. We only had three rehearsals. Then we started shooting the film.”

Self-expression

Not only does the film present students with many relatable moments, but it also presented the cultural associations with an opportunity to express themselves in various art forms. “The film is combined with dance and music performed by the associations. I think it’s wonderful that the film is going to be shown on a large screen. It’s a way for students to show what they were able to do during lockdown. I particularly loved the fact that we were able to act again. I’ve taken a lot of online courses this last year, but it’s great to be able to get together again and find an alternative way to express ourselves.”