Project 1: E Pluribus Unum
Password: NY
Summary
E Pluribus Unum is a poetic portrayal depicting the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York, spanning from the initial shutdown to its eventual reopening, marked by the emergence of the vaccine. It captures the transition from the city that never sleeps to the city of empty streets. The footage is black and white starting with the most iconic New York city spaces transitioning from full to empty and then back to full with coinciding soundscapes.
The stark, monochromatic footage of New York spaces, without the usual hustle and bustle, provides a unique opportunity for an intimate experience, capturing the multilayered moment of the city within its serene ambiance. The empty streets during the pandemic may be beautiful, but the suffering is palpable. The seemingly abandoned city symbolizes an unprecedented unity of New Yorkers coming together by staying apart under the most challenging circumstances. The experimental format emphasizes that even though there is no one visibly in the streets, New Yorkers are very much present.
Project 2: Being
Password: NY