Abstract:
Behind the Mask is a short film that details the hardships and joy that many of us have experienced during COVID-19. I noticed that many people I interact with have shared experiences yet feel alone. I also realized that speaking about joy has a significant impact on brightening one’s day. This project focuses on people’s lips for a couple of reasons. Because we wear masks, we no longer see each other’s mouths- this video gives us a unique opportunity to do so. Furthermore, by only viewing people’s mouths, I hope my audience understands how universal my participants’ answers are. That being said, I pull away a couple of times throughout the film to show entire faces, which gives space for people to expand and personalize their answers.
The lip footage is blurry for a couple of reasons. The first is that it was filmed over zoom, highlighting the technical difficulties we have all become accustomed to. The second is that it demonstrates the blurriness of the world around us at this moment- voices are often muffled, there is no clear timeline for when the world will be safe again, and nothing feels quite clear.
Many of my sources pull from literature that has come out about the adverse effects of the Coronavirus on mental health. Others helped me establish my form. Finally, my sources demonstrated that we can help alleviate some of our most solemn moments by engaging with each other. The facts in the video are directly pulled from the Samantha Brooks et al., the Health Minds Network, and the Sandro Galea et al. articles. I was inspired to create this piece because I wanted to express how difficult Covid-19 has been, but also offer a glimpse of hope during a confusing and scary time. I interviewed mostly close friends and family and heard their stories, so that by the end of each interview, I too was smiling.
Behind the Mask:
References:
Brooks, Samantha K, et al. “The Psychological Impact of Quarantine and How to Reduce It: Rapid Review of the Evidence.” The Lancet. Rapid Review, March 24, 2020. https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30460-8/fulltext#seccestitle10.
“Can You Read My Lips?” Youtube. National Geographic, February 22, 2016. www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1jLkYyODsc.
Daphna-Tekoa, et al. “Listening to Hospital Personnel’s Narratives During the COVID-19 Outbreak.” US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, September 3, 2020. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7503987/.
Galea, Sandro, et al. “The Mental Health Consequence of COVID-19 and Physical Distancing.” Jama Network. Jama Internal Medicine, April 10, 2020. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2764404.
Jahnke, Art. “In College Students, COVID-19 Has Increased Depression Rate and Raised New Barriers to Mental Health Care.” Boston University. The Brink, July 9, 2020. http://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/college-students-covid-19-increased-depression-rate-and-raised-barriers-to-mental-healthcare/.
Javed, Bilal, et al. “The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic’s Impact on Mental Health.” Wiley Online Library. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, June 22, 2020. https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.rice.edu/doi/10.1002/hpm.3008.
Meek, Miki, et al. “The Reprieve.” This American Life. July 27, 2020. www.thisamericanlife.org/709/the-reprieve.
“The Impact of Covid-19 on College Student Well-Being.” The Health Minds Network. American College Health Association, March-May 2020. https://healthymindsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Healthy_Minds_NCHA_COVID_Survey_Report_FINAL.pdf.