Homemade

Homemade is an Italian-Chilean anthology series that brings together 17 short films created during the COVID-19 pandemic by filmmakers from around the world.Filmmakers participated in this series are Ladj Ly (France), Paolo Sorrentino (Italy), Rachel Morrison (US), Pablo Larraín (Chile), Rungano Nyoni (Zambia), Natalia Beristáin (Mexico), Sebastian Schipper (Germany), Naomi Kawase (Japan), David Mackenzie (Scotland), Maggie Gyllenhaal (US), Nadine Labaki (Lebannon), Khaled Mouzanar (Lebannon), Antonio Campos (Brazil & US), Johnny Ma (China & Canada), Kristen Stewart (US), Gurinder Chadha (Kenya & UK), Sebastián Lelio (Chile) and Ana Lily Amirpour (US). On June 30, 2020, this collection of 17 lockdown-themed short films was released by Netflix on its platform. Shot entirely in the confines of quarantine using home cameras, smartphones, and help from family members, each short film in Homemade explores what it means to live, think, and feel during the global COVID-19 crisis, ranging from 6 to 10 minutes long.

Cannes and Cesár Awards winner Ly uses a drone to survey the Montfermeil suburb, one of the pandemic’s hardest-hit regions in France. In his Clichy-Montfermeil, lockdown becomes an indication for deeper structural issues such as poverty, systemic neglect, and marginalization. Meanwhile, Academy Award winner Sorrentino provides one of the anthology’s most playful entries. Voyage Au Bout de la Nuit imagines a romance between miniature figures of Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis, set in Sorrentino’s own Rome apartment. The Queen learns that she is unable to return to London due to the lockdown in Italy after a visit to the Vatican. While in quarantine, the pair begin to flirt, dance, and one day, skinny-dip in a pool, and eventually lament their loneliness. Sorrentino critiques the political iconography and provides a parody commentary on human isolation. Amipour’s Ride It Out is another highlight. Narrated by renowned actress Cate Blanchett, the film captures an ethereal, drifting bike ride through an emptied Los Angeles during lockdown. More poetic essay than traditional narrative, the film questions offers introspective and philosophical insight into a life disrupted by pandemic: “We live according to conventions and norms. Like the calendar, the watch, and birthdays, and vacations and holidays and happy hour. But what do we do once these things are removed?” (Ride It Out).

The anthology is a genre-fluid compilation, with styles and techniques ranging vastly, from stream-of-consciousness reflections to fictional mini-narratives that aim to capture the diverse experiences of quarantine life. As a whole, Homemade is an effort of global storytelling under constraint. It collects grief, comedy, absurdity, introspection, and joy, and turns them into a collage of pandemic lived moments.