Within the concept of Partnerships in Communities for the Promotion of Local Democracy, a six-episode documentary series was realized through a grant from Machine Production, which follows the various socio-political aspects of dealing with the coronavirus.
The documentary illustrates the experiences with the virus – from initial reactions, through initial misinformation to concrete policy measures – and seeks to draw a clear line between attempts at transparency, institutional measures and policies and attempts at politicization, undermining public health and fake news. The documentary series also makes visible the various social groups and the numerous issues related to the vulnerable groups during the state of emergency.
The episodes of the documentary deal with different topics individually and include different interlocutors and offer a more comprehensive chronology in the country dealing with the epidemic, from a political, social and cultural aspect. The series examines the events connected with the corona virus first on a global level, i.e. global reactions as an introduction, to further address several aspects such as social and media reactions to the crisis through exclusive interviews with journalists and by analyzing the contents of traditional and social media.
The specific national measures for direct management of the crisis, but also its consequences, the numerous issues related to different groups of citizens, and especially citizens at risk during the pandemic through interviews with cultural workers, freelancers and single parents, prisoners and representatives of the older generation are further discussed.
The documentary examines the multicultural challenges imposed, opened and increased by the pandemic with an emphasis on the challenges for the Roma community, but also acknowledges the commitment and professionalism of health professionals who have borne the burden of dealing with the crisis in Macedonian society.
The documentary is broadcasted every day from 21 to 26 December 2020 on MTV 1.
The entire project is co-financed by the European Union and the Foundation Open Society – Macedonia.
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25 December 2020