“rWill the pandemic be repeated? ” In 2025, it's that you were temporarily surprised by the sudden memories of the 2-meter rule after you found someone wearing a face mask on the street. It may seem that the nation is experiencing collective memory loss for what has led to the highest death toll since World War II.
For some, this feels like a betrayal. Family members who have lost their loved ones to the virus are not only unable to truly push the pandemic away, they are determined not to. As Covid fades from our lives and our lexicons, they worry that the victims will be at risk of unforgettable.
This feature-length program from documentary maker Catey Sexton is an attempt to prevent it from happening. Love and Loss: The pandemic five year pandemic is dedicated to remembering those who died in Covid, including Sexton's mother. We ask about nurses, caregivers, bus drivers, young people, elderly people, people with disabilities, fathers and mothers. The film gives the family the opportunity to pay tribute to their deceased loved ones by talking about their hobbies, values and habits rather than exaggerated admiration.
Sexton's subject matter comes from every corner of the UK and is a variety of backgrounds. The people who died were adults of all ages and caught the virus in many ways. As a major worker, some are nursing homes, when lockdowns are lifted. The point is to show that Covid was somewhat indiscriminate, but it is also to humanize the statistics we were given to at the height of the pandemic, when most of us probably came from the sharp individuals they represent.
Each portrait is full of love and, as expected, heartbreaking. But they are also insightful. The more you hear about the nature of these deaths, the more you understand the shades of sadness that are unique to the pandemic. Not only are relatives traumatized, they are left suspended in a state of distrust. Because the funeral was denied, the others were unable to be by their loved ones when they died.
Bound by lasting shock is a sense of guilt and regret. Of course, it's misguided, but I understand. Some of this has to do with listening to medical advice. Chloe's parents, 21, were relieved when paramedics told her not to worry about her condition because the young people hadn't been dying from the virus at the time. She passed away on the same day. When Femi caught the virus, his GP told him to stay home. He died on the couch. When his daughter talks about his death, she speaks directly to him: “I'm so sorry, Dad, I really hope we do more.”
The idea that everyone condemns these tragedy – it's very sad, especially considering that this was an era when our freedom was almost completely reduced. Describing the state may be a more reasonable option. The program's final stretch temporarily covers ongoing investigations into handling the pandemic. Detailing the specific mistakes and compromises made by the government is outside much of the documentary's authority, but it explains how important it is for the family to drown meaning from the confusion. Sexton admits he is looking for answers as to why so many people died in care homes. For others, trying to protect the UK from another failed response to a future pandemic gives purpose in such a meaningless loss.
Occasionally, the program tells the story of the pandemic in a very simple way, but Sexton doesn't aim to provide a strict history. Instead, she has focused on capturing emotional reality. For most of us, the pandemic was like a bad dream we woke up. But not for these families. At one point, the family's father says he hopes he will go back in time and warns people about Covid. It is a magical thought about surreal times in our history, and as this program evokes and shows, leaves us with so many lasting scars.
