Stories from the pandemic

Whittlesea festival and events co-ordinator John Fleming.

Tara Murray

Whittlesea residents are being encouraged to create videos to share their experiences during lockdown.

Whittlesea council has started a community video project that encourages people to tell their own pandemic journey while also helping to tell the wider community’s story.

Council will provide a daily theme over four weeks and participants will be asked to film one clip a day, ranging from five to 30 seconds.

Cinematographer and director David Franjic will compile the video submissions into a large showpiece community film at the end of lockdown.

Mr Franjic has worked in film, television and video content for 20 years. He was the 2019 Tropfest winner for Best Cinematography and the recipient of five Australian Cinematography Society Awards.

Whittlesea festival and events co-ordinator John Fleming said the project was like a video diary where the community could see the world through another person’s eyes.

“We want to see whatever you are drawn to, wherever your eye leads you,” Mr Fleming said.

“I’m really looking forward to finding lots of different textures in my environment. Whether it’s a crack in a concrete path at my home, or the bark of a small tree, or some insects flying around a window.

“It’s the micro and the macro level of our lives. For this reason we need as many people as possible to take part – to give the breadth of experiences.

“Individually we play a part, together we write the story.”

Find out more at arts.whittlesea.vic.gov.au