Finding Love During the Time of Covid

The Covid Pandemic is currently presenting major challenges to families around the world. Be it learning to tutor your children while busily working from home or simply how do you keep them entertained, while struggling to maintain your work productivity. Perhaps though the demographic facing the biggest psychological hurdle are not necessarily families but rather singletons who are still looking for love. Acclaimed playwright Bettina Gracias’ lovely award winning short film, ‘Jakinta’, highlights this issue and tells the story of an Asian widow who during these turbulent times is determined nevertheless to resuscitate her moribund love life.

This charming short film opens with its central character preparing for a virtual date. In her preparation we get a glimpse of her previous life with her now deceased husband. Someone, she points out, who viewed fun as a rather alien concept. She is now though, in the wake of his death, determined despite the ravages of the pandemic, to find happiness. Eventually her date, via Zoom, appears. And he is Harry, a young, new age, hairy biker, who somehow believes that by having read the Vedas, the Hindu holy book, he now has a complete understanding of all things Indian.The film continues like a madcap Asian twist on a British farce while making some very serious points along the way. Such as, while families may find solace with each other, singletons are having to navigate these troubled times on their own and for those looking for love the prospects are now made even more difficult. Psychologists around the world have all pointed to statistics showing a spike in the number of those experiencing a mental health crisis, with their patients citing isolation as the main cause for their psychological decline.

Some countries have tried unique solutions to this problem with Holland in particular actively encouraging singletons to find someone who they can join with to create a domestic bubble which it is hoped would keep them safe both from the virus and the detrimental effects of isolation. It is thought that this arrangement will offer them emotional stability and an important connection to the outside world. It’s a suggestion which, if the effects of virus continue into the New Year, other countries may follow.

The lead character Jakinta is played by former Royal Shakespeare actress Sakuntala Ramanee, her incongruous son Ajay is played by Jay Varsani and her hapless date Harry is played by Doug Utting. All the actors give sterling performances and the writing is just a delight.

Perhaps what the virus has shown us is that a healthy society is one in which everyone feels engaged in it. It would be churlish to reveal the outcome of Jakinta’s date but whether it is successful or not you have the feeling that she will not be deterred, even in the face of a global crisis, from finding the love life she desires.

form-idea.com London, 8th November 2020.

Jakinta: Short Film

Selections
1) ‘After Hour Film Festival’ – USA, India and Latin American.
2) ‘Independent Shorts Awards Fil Festival’ : Los Angeles....won ‘Best Web Film’.
3) ‘Manhattan Rep Stories Film Festival’ – New York.
4) ‘Eastern European Film Festival’. Romania.
5) ‘Beyond the Curve International Film Festival’. Paris, France.
6) ‘Five Continents International Film Festival’.
7) The Gold Star Movie Award. New Jersey | In category Best Comedy short.
8) 'The Monkey Bread Tree Awards'
9) ‘Druk International Film Festival’. Bhutan. Won ‘Best Web Film’.

Awards
1) ‘Best Web Film’ : Druk International Film Festival – Bhutan.
2) ‘Best Web Film’ : Independent Shorts Awards – Los Angeles.
3) 'Best directorial debut' at the 'Gold Star Movie Awards' - New Jersey