''Corona'', also known as ''Corona: Fear Is a Virus'', is a 2020 Canadian thriller

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

about a group of people stuck in an

elevator An elevator or lift is a wire rope, cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or deck (building), decks of a building, watercraft, ...

during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. The film was written and directed by Mostafa Keshvari, and made in part to address

xenophobia and racism related to the COVID-19 pandemic Xenophobia () is the fear or dislike of anything which is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression of perceived conflict between an in-group and out-group and may manifest in suspicion by the one of the other's activities, a ...

. ''Corona'' was filmed in one shot using a handheld camera.

Premise

Fear and panic ensue when a woman coughs in an elevator during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cast

* Andrea Stefancikova * Emy Aneke * Andy Canete * Zarina Sterling * Josh Blacker * Richard Lett * Traei Tsai

Development

Mostafa Keshvari came up with the idea to film ''Corona'' after reading headlines on the COVID-19 virus. The news reported that Asian communities in Canada were experiencing multiple xenophobic and racist incidents due to the association of COVID-19 with China. Keshvari has stated that at the time “nobody thought a white person could get it. But the virus doesn’t discriminate.” Keshvari wrote an informal script during a two-week period in January 2020. A space was rented and a set built, which took ten days. The cast and crew were people that Keshvari knew already or were hired through word of mouth. Actress Andrea Stefancikova, who also helped cast the movie, "wanted to cast diverse people who reflect how Vancouver looks". ''Corona'' was shot in one shot using a handheld camera during early 2020 and the actors were allowed to improvise on the script. According to an interview with ''

Vancouver Magazine ''Vancouver Magazine'' is an English-language lifestyle magazine focused on Vancouver, British Columbia and the Lower Mainland. ''Vancouver Magazine'' describes its mission as informing, guiding and entertaining residents of a "dynamic, internat ...

'', the film was shot twenty times before it was successfully completed. Filming was completed prior to Canada and other countries going on lockdown and Keshvari submitted the completed movie to film festivals, which were cancelled due to the shutdown.

Release

''Corona'' was initially intended to release to film festivals; this was unsuccessful due to festivals cancelling due to lockdown orders and concerns of spreading the coronavirus in their respective countries. News outlets such as ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' reported on the film and its trailer prior to its release, crediting it as the "first COVID-19 movie". ''

The Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...

'' was critical of the trailer for the then unreleased movie, as they felt that it "looks a bit like it could have been made in iMovie, as it uses recognizable and somewhat amateur looking fonts." ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'''s Charles Bramesco expressed concern about ''Corona'' and similar films utilizing the pandemic as a plot point, asking if it was too soon for filmmakers to do so. The film premiered at the 2020 Rhode Island Film Festival, where it won the RIIFF Director's Choice Award.2020 Film Festival Award Winners Announced on Sunday, August 9th
/ref>

References

External links