The Long Goodbye: Death During COVID

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“Death is present in the cycles of growth and decay that we witness in nature, in the pets and other animals we bury as children, in the cemeteries and funeral homes that we drive past, and in numerous other aspects of our daily experience”.
Hannelore Wass

After two years of being surrounded by death and loss, the toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the world is incomprehensible. By diving into a personal narrative of loss and exploring the complex feelings surrounding losing someone, this video is an attempt to discover how our view of death has changed and what’s been left behind.

Video and post produced for Multimedia Storytelling course Fall 2022.

Sources:

YouTube
Inside a Covid I.C.U., Through a Nurse’s Eyes | NYT Opinion
Dying of Coronavirus: A Family’s Painful Goodbye | NYT News
Coronavirus grief: How to deal with death? | COVID-19 Special
Grief and COVID-19: Mourning What We’re Missing
Why Grief Will Help Us Survive Coronavirus
Dying Alone From Coronavirus: A Family’s Last Goodbye | WSJ
Coronavirus funerals: the cruel impact on families of the dead – BBC News

News Articles
Amante, A. P. H. (2020, March 19). There are no funerals: Death in quarantine leaves nowhere to grieve.Reuters, U.S.
Almond, K. (n.d.). The defining photos of the pandemic — and the stories behind them. CNN. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
CNET News staff. (2020, May 4). Coronavirus in pictures: Scenes from around the world. CNET.
Bettiza, B. S. (2020, March 25). Coronavirus: How Covid-19 is denying dignity to the dead in Italy. BBC News.

Books
Wass, H. (1979). Dying, facing the facts. Mcgraw Hill Book Company.
Choron, J. (1973). Death and Modern Man. Collier Book.

Music
“Eden (Harlem)” from If Beale Street Could Talk (Original Motion Picture Score) by Nicholas Britell
“Encomium” from If Beale Street Could Talk (Original Motion Picture Score) by Nicholas Britell
“Starry Night” by Jordan Critz

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A young woman with thick black hair and glasses smiling into the cameraJosefa Amanda Pastenes Jara is a 21-year-old journalism major from Chile. They aspire to tell stories through photography and documentaries, with a focus on social issues.