Title: Control City
Synopsis:
My given site for this video essay was ‘corridor’ and since I am not in Hong Kong, I made the video about Suwon city in South Korea. In Suwon, a new area called Gwanggyo new city was constructed a few years ago, and since it is where I live, I filmed video scenes around Gwanggyo. As mentioned in the video, Gwanggyo has various residential and cultural facilities around a large lake park, and this video shows how our lives have changed and controlled by the influence of COVID-19 in a documentary format. In this video, I defined the definition of corridor not just a passage in the building, but a passage that connects people’s destination and starting point. Thus, in this video, the corridor can exist in both the outside and the inside. This video mainly shows two parts: Gwanggyo before 10 p.m. and Gwanggyo after 10 p.m. and mainly deals with contrast. The control of people’s lives due to the government’s guidelines shows a changed life before and after 10 o’clock. Through people detecting heat and sanitizing hands at the department store corridor, walking without communication with each other, and exercising as a family unit instead of friends and coworkers in the park at night, I could see different corridors than when there was no COVID-19. However, I could see people slowly adjusting and overcoming to the situation which was different from the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak. I could see people controlling themselves to protect themselves from COVID-19, not “controlled” by the situation. I believe that if this continues, one day we will all be able to live without the word “control” and live a free life.
Script:
More than a year after the coronavirus began to spread, new confirmed cases are still on the rise.
The pandemic has brought a lot of changes to the world.
Suwon, the city where I live in, is the second most densely populated city in the metropolitan area of Korea after Seoul.
Recently, a new city called Gwanggyo in Suwon was constructed with a goal of “a beautiful natural city for family.”
So, the city consists of various cultural and residential facilities centered on the large lake park.
As the virus spread around the world, Korean government issued an executive order banning private gatherings and stores operations after 10 p.m.
When comparing the appearance of Gwanggyo before and after 10 o’clock, you can find big differences.
In particular, the differences can be comprehensively found on the corridors, where people go through as they head for their destinations.
Let’s look at the corridors of the city before 10 p.m.
On this corridor, people do not usually communicate with each other due to the fear of the virus. Only traffic and car sounds are on this corridor.
Originally, entrance to the department store is a space full of excitement. But, now, worries and strictness about sanitation rather than excitement can be seen.
This corridor is where employees do product marketing to customers. However, it is difficult to notify customers’ satisfaction because everyone wears a mask.
Then now, let’s look at the corridors of the city after 10 p.m.
Both restaurants and downtown streets are all closed and lights are turned off.
There are few people crossing traffic lights on the road and few cars are passing.
People who can’t come out during the day because of fear of the virus wear masks and exercise with their dogs in the park at night.
Also, due to social distancing, people spend time at home with their families rather than with their friends or coworkers.
As such, due to the pandemic, people are living different lives from before and the government’s new rules and policies are controlling people’s freedoms.
However, humans are adaptable animals, and if everyone cares and strives for each other in this difficult and unfamiliar new environment, they will overcome this situation altogether.
Moreover, in these situations, people could seriously think about what was important in their lives and what was their priority.
“the importance of family”, “the importance of technological development”, “the importance of health care”, “the meaning of true happiness”…etc
Therefore, although covid-19 has controlled our existing lives in various areas, it once again gives us the strong power to take new control of our minds and lives.
Background Music: Away – Patrick Patrikios
Bibiliography
2기 신도시
https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=2055190&cid=43667&categoryId=43667. Accessed 17 May 2021.
광교 신도시
https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EA%B4%91%EA%B5%90%EC%8B%A0%EB%8F%84%EC%8B%9C. Accessed 17 May 2021.
코로나시대 광교 호수공원 주변 주택 관심
http://www.sentv.co.kr/news/view/594050. Accessed 17 May 2021.
Minwoo Kang, 3035729904
I liked that you have filmed and separated the video into two different time slots, before 10 pm and after 10 pm; this way it was easier to make direct comparions between the time slots and how different they become. I also liked that you have labelled the places you have filmed, as it made it easier to quickly process where it is being filmed without having to think. The video was very informative and helped get a glimpse of the situation in Korea. The streets really are empty after 10 pm but I wonder if this really is an effective method to stop the spread of COVID.
Your video is nicely structured to show the comparison of the corridors between day and night. I wonder how you define corridor space as you included parks and sidewalks in your video. Apart from documenting the life under pandemic, I am curious to know what your hypothesis is. Is there anything unusual that you noticed on the sidewalk during your shooting? How is the situation on the sidewalk different from that in a park, as both spaces are public? Your project would be stronger if you could argue site-specifically on top of providing information.