Heritage Toronto

Engaging Seniors Unlocked, 2021 Heritage Toronto Awards Public History Nominee. Image: Isorine Marc.

Voice recording session, Unlocked, 2021 Heritage Toronto Awards Public History Nominee. Image: Isorine Marc.

Cast and crew of Unlocked, 2021 Heritage Toronto Awards Public History Nominee. Image: Isorine Marc.

Unlocked: A Flow of Colourful Connections in Lockdown

Project Organization: Jamii Esplanade

Date of Release: July 20, 2020

“Unlocked: A Flow of Colourful Connections in Lockdown” is a short film that captures the personal journey of eleven women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the Spring of 2020, eleven women were asked to express artistically how three months of isolation had affected their sense of identity. “Unlocked”, an abstract symphony of thoughts, emotions, and reflection, offers a window into the emotional lives of women. From isolated days that connected them with close family, to sleepless nights which drew them to take a closer look inward, to a new relation to time that led them to dive into forgotten interests, these stories invite the viewer to contemplate how the pandemic has impacted each of us differently.

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Filmed entirely in the Esplanade neighbourhood — in the middle of the road, in a living room, under balconies, in the park — these interwoven stories express feelings of joy and comfort, melancholy and hope, loss and love through poetry, song, dance, sculpture, painting and photography.

“Unlocked” was created by a team of 17 professional artists who contributed to the project, featured the voices of 11 women of the Esplanade neighbourhood, and engaged about 20 Esplanadians in front of the camera. It premiered on July 24th and 25th 2020, at the Berkeley Castle, with 80 attending in-person.

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Unlocked: A Flow of Colourful Connections in Lockdown

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