THE trials and tribulations of living through the coronavirus lockdown have been captured on film.
Renfrewshire Leisure is to screen the video diary style movie – 2020 – A Film By Paul Mothersole – on its Ren TV online channel.
Like many other people Paisley-based filmmaker Paul had to endure not being able to visit his mum and dad, Mary, aged 73 and 74-year-old Vincent, sister Fiona, aged 40, along with other family and friends during lockdown.
And Paul decided to ask his family to make a video diary documenting his family’s experience of living through the coronavirus restrictions. Filming took place between November 2020 and June 2021.
The innovative short film – funded by Creative Scotland’s Venue Recovery Fund and supported by local charity Renfrewshire Leisure – has been described as “incredibly moving” is being broadcast on Ren TV at 8pm on Thursday 25th November.
It can be viewed free of charge by logging on to www.renfrewshireleisure.com/rentv.
Paul said: “Like many others, my family were communicating via video conferencing and social media. It occurred to me that collecting these videos, calls and clips and photos would be a great way of documenting this unique time in our history.
“Though this is my family’s experience of lockdown I imagine that many people experienced something similar and I hope that my film will remind people of what we have gone through. Hopefully in future years it will be a reminder of what we have survived.”
Paul continued: “My 50th birthday was at the end of lockdown and that was the first time our family could get together after lockdown.
“The film’s final scenes are of my birthday celebrations, so we were able to end the film on a positive and hopeful way.
“When my mum and dad saw the film, they were quote emotional as it showed everything they had to go through during lockdown.”
Richard Weeks Film Project Producer at Renfrewshire Leisure said: “Renfrewshire Leisure has been working with local filmmaker Paul Mothersole to document this important part of Paisley’s history.
“Paul’s family have shown great courage in telling their story. The film is incredibly moving, is told from multiple perspectives and provides a valuable reminder of the pandemic which may otherwise be lost in the mists of time.”