CULTURE IN QUARANTINE: FILMED IN LOCKDOWN (iPlayer)****

 

By Dave

Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p088hhjd/culture-in-quarantine

Available until: 7-12 months

Culture in Quarantine: Filmed in Lockdown is a series of very short films. I’m not sure ‘Culture in Quarantine’ is the best possible name for it as ‘culture’ would put a lot of people right off but I’d say it is a fair title for the series as they are mostly based around the arts – there are short plays in various styles, dancing and music. There are also some autobiographical accounts of life in lockdown or the struggles people have in their day to day life.

The episodes are very different. I’d say it’s definitely worth having a look at what’s on offer and seeing what jumps out at you. Some form part of a mini-series but apart from that, I wouldn’t say they need to be watched in order. If you pick something and don’t like it, it’s no loss as they’re all quite short. I think the longest in the Filmed in Lockdown series is seventeen minutes long. Many are only a couple of minutes.

good dog, little dog, big dog has already been reviewed on this blog as good dog (the title used on youtube) but it’s a really interesting play and well worth a watch.

Treasure is an interesting and amusing story with great characterisation. While some might consider it unrealistic, it still makes a good story with twists, turns, surprises and lots of humour.

Reconnect: Digital Raving has a very simple premise – two men meet online to discuss music. But it becomes something much greater than that.

The Swan Lake Bath Ballet is a very inventive and beautiful piece of dance which is exactly what it says on the tin.

The Sofa Dance is a fascinating and slightly crazy (in a very good way) performance by thirty acrobats. Don’t try all of it at home. (And be careful about trying it anywhere else either!)

Where I Go (When I Can’t Be Where I Am) is about one person’s experience of with chronic pain. I was a bit disappointed as I know someone with chronic pain and I was excited for them that someone had made a film about it, but it was very different from my friend’s experiences. But they did say it’s important to hear different experience because everyone experiences each illness a bit differently.

Sign Night is a love story told entirely in sign language. It’s beautiful to watch even if you don’t know sign language but there is a closed captions option.

There are lots of other episodes. You can learn about carnivals, fishing and dreams. You can get to know poets and lyricists. There’s a series of from a mask theatre company. Many of the videos are very short but give tantalising glimpses of situations and cultures I’ve never experienced before. If you like the Arts, there’s probably something you’ll like here.