Slovak documentarian Tereza Nvotova, who made 'New York City in the Time of COVID-19' had no narrative structure before the shoot apart from 'her own curiosity, her own personal life and the problems she got into'.
Nvotova, who has confronted corruption and politics in past films such as 2017's 'The Lust for Power,' found herself beached in New York during the COVID-19 outbreak in the spring, unable to return legally to her home in the Czech Republic with her partner, American actor Jacob Pitts. Then she got an assignment from public broadcaster Czech TV to film the city and how its people were faring, according to Variety.
'New York City in the Time of COVID-19' is a powerful, funny and poignant short, in which Nvotova conscripts her friend Peter to take her out on interviews via motorcycle to avoid virus-infested public transit, as per Variety.
On being asked about narrative thread, Nvotova told Variety, "There was no narrative structure before the shoot other than my own curiosity, my own personal life and the problems I got into. I was locked at home for a month, not being able to get back to Europe and when I got a call from Czech TV, I felt like I can not refuse."
"I am a filmmaker and what else am I supposed to do in a time of crisis? Then I started to contact anyone I could - through Facebook groups, media, my own contacts. It's always the same - people know people so you get to the right ones eventually," she added.
The documentary film was screened at Ji.hlava Film Festival as one of several docs made during the pandemic, each embracing a different perspective and style.
( With inputs from ANI )
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