Where to Watch A Pandemic Poem: Where Did the World Go? (2021)

Summary

A powerful and moving examination of the pandemic, using a poem written by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage that charts the progression of the pandemic from the early rumours arriving from Wuhan to the rollout of the vaccination programme and the easing of lockdown. Around this central narrative we meet a diverse group of characters from around the UK, each of whom offers testimony about their own experience of living through the past 18 months. Amongst the contributors are Matthew, who lost his 200 year old family business; Andy, a pub landlord who fed thousands of people in Preston for one penny per meal; Comfort, an asylum seeker who struggled with her mental health during lockdown; and young mum Victoria, who paints a picture of the trials and hilarities of looking after young children all day and every day. The film highlights the resilience of people, the desire to help others, and the strength of family and community.