Racism. COVID. Romance.

Last year when COVID-19 took the world by storm it seemed like the end of the world was near. Even though it remains a constant threat in 2021, we have learned to live with the virus to a large extent.

I reckon that no single event in recent years has impacted the day to day lives of people around the world as swiftly and as markedly as COVID. And so, I thought, doesn’t it beget some reflection?

While sitting at home (and sitting some more, then pacing a bit, and finally returning to the seated position), I watched the events of the pandemic unfold alongside powerful social and political movements that also grabbed the world’s attention last year.

Then, for a reason still unknown to me, a bright and altogether unoriginal idea popped into my head. I decided that I would write the Great COVID-19 Pandemic Movie.

Bold aim? Yes. But then again, who wouldn’t want to watch a movie about pandemic life? It would certainly be relatable to a wide audience, right? And after all, art imitates life, or at least that’s what I’ve heard. So, I thought to myself, what do I have to lose? Time, I guess, but I have that in abundance. Then, on the other hand, what did I have to gain? Ah, thought a dreamer to himself. Absolutely everything. Well, a bit of money and maybe even a bit of a name for myself, at the very least.

With that goal in mind, I started to write, with nothing more than a hazy idea that I would somehow incorporate the rona into nothing short of a contemporary masterpiece.

And by the end of 2020, I managed to finish what I felt was a decent story that summed up the events of the year quite nicely while offering a positive outlook on life in spite of the challenges of the time.

Then, like so many others, I let the document sit and gather digital dust. I really didn’t know what to do with it.

Now, as another year has come and gone, I find myself ready to release my work to the world. Instead of trying to reach out to filmmakers, I opted for the digital publishing route. And so, I am proud to say that my script format story that touches on Racism, COVID and Romance is now available for the world to enjoy.

“Unmasking Grandpa’s Past” is a heartwarming story that touches on COVID, Black Lives Matter, and the unfulfilled promise of a young romance cut short by intolerance.

After slowly developing my initial, highly undeveloped idea about a 20-something professional moving from her studio in the city back to her parent’s place to wait out the “sea of sick” that would inevitably pass as all stormy weather does, I changed gears and started to focus on the pandemic’s effect on another generation. Seniors.

Enter Grandpa James, a grumpy, retired cop who is miserably living out his golden years at a residence for the elderly. When he moves in with his daughter’s family, tension is in the air as James is not a pleasant person to be around. However, all that changes when the family is watching an interview that is taking places at a Black Lives Matter rally.

When James spots Elsie on TV, he is gobsmacked. Once he manages to gather his thoughts, he explains why to his family. They then work together to find a way to reunite the two seniors who abruptly parted ways decades ago due to the intolerance of James’ father. An untimely COVID-19 diagnosis threatens to derail the plan for any sort of reunion, but the determination to make it happen never falters. And, as they say, good things come to those who wait…

“Unmasking Grandpa’s Past” is a story about 2020. In many ways, it is also a story about 2021, as infuriating as that may be. While I’ll let others decide if it is the Great Pandemic Story I originally set out to write, I will say that I see it as a nice little optimistic story that warrants a read.

Take care and find time to enjoy life,

Shaun