Let's dance! Animated friends connect in a virtual dance party
New short film brings people together in their happy place during pandemic isolation
CBC Manitoba's Creator Network asked local artists to imagine their happy place as we mark the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Here is one of several projects we will share in the coming weeks.
What's your happy place? For Winnipeg filmmaker Emmanuel Bongar, his pandemic happy place is a virtual dance party populated with animated versions of his friends.
That's just part of the visual celebration of Change in Time, Bongar's new music video with songwriter Tuva Bergstrom. Bongar and Bergstrom also tapped into our shared experience of pandemic isolation and separation as inspiration for the video.
"I want to show that people are still alive and kicking even with the change in times as a result of the ongoing pandemic," said Bongar, 20.
The video is a love letter, of sorts, to humankind as we navigate the stress, isolation and uncertainty of a global health crisis.
"My happy place has always been with other people," said Bergstrom.
"Change in Time reflects how people have helped me out of times of hardship. The best way to make myself feel better is with the presence of others, and that's the message I wanted to portray in the song."
Filmed vertically, Bongar replicated the style in which young people currently communicate through social media platforms like Tik Tok, Snap Chat and Instagram stories. Some of the group footage was shot before the pandemic hit and health orders were instituted. Bongar also animated some of his subjects, bringing them together in a joyful virtual concert.
Bongar and Bergstrom are also participants in the Broadway Neighbourhood Centre's Just TV program, which teaches audio and video skills to youth. Since 2020, CBC's Creator Network has collaborated with the program to support and co-produce original videos with the youth.
About the filmmakers
Emmanuel Bongar's goal is to make each project more creative than the last. The 20-year-old Winnipegger's work includes music videos, short films, promotional videos and animated lyric videos.
A graduate of Tec Voc High School's broadcasting program, Bongar joined Broadway Neighbourhood Centre's Just TV After School Leaders program to gain more hands-on experience with different software and equipment. He brings a creative and unique experience to each film he conceives. He is currently a video apprentice for the program, seeking to further improve upon his skill set.
Tuva Bergstrom is a singer-songwriter from Winnipeg. Tuva's music explores many different genres and highlights feelings such as heartbreak, revenge, loneliness and hope.
She began her musical journey at 13, when she performed at various showcases with the help of Just TV. In December 2019, she released her single "Break-up Over the Holidays." In 2020, with CBC's Creator Network and Just TV, she created "I'll text my love your way," an original song and video celebrating high school graduates who didn't get to mark the milestone in traditional ways.