Life under lockdown could inspire new film-makers to revive a genre that thrives on tensions that brew under one roof.
Ridley Scott, director of Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator, said in 2018 that aspiring film-makers have “no excuses”, considering the accessibility of technology, for not making their own films. “Go out and make a movie this weekend,” Scott finger-wagged, “or stop moaning.”
For the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, young film-makers have one sizeable excuse: they no longer can “go out”. Coronavirus has clearly taken a huge toll on the film industry, from cinema closures to film festival cancellations. Yet there are some slim rays of light through the storm, one being that many now have plenty of time. Despite the obstacles, early career film-makers are finding ways to create new work without straying outdoors, meanwhile mastering their technique and staving off boredom.