UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN BY NARIMAN HAMED
Directed By by Nariman Hamed
“Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need
For this bright morning dawning for you.” - Maya Angelou
A corrupt political class, a sclerotic bureaucracy, a heartless economy, a divided and distracted public, had gone unnoticed for years. A chronic Illness that spread all over the country exposed their severity and shocked Americans with the recognition that we are in the high-risk category. “Until We Meet Again” is a short film directed by Nariman Hamed is an exploration of the current state of mind in the US through a series of picturesque shots of people. Research shows that 20.6% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2019 (51.5 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults. Sadly, the 2020 takeaways from the report are not encouraging. While the adult prevalence of mental health is relatively stagnant, youth (age 12-17) mental health is worsening. Further, more than 10 million adults report having an unmet need for mental health services and suicidal ideation continues to increase. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everyday life for Americans. How well could they deal with the new reality of closed businesses, shuttered schools, social distancing and the threat of the coronavirus itself? People appeared more vulnerable to the negative effects of pandemic stress. “Until We Meet Again” is an amazing depiction of the present state and the mental condition of people irrespective of races, caste, colour, and place. The film offers an intimate and hard-hitting insight into the minds of the people. It also highlights the impact on health and the people’s restlessness.
A 4 minutes 50 seconds film is enough to provide important insights into how devastating life have been. It’s a saying that “eyes never lie”, it’s true. If anybody could have dared to look straight in their eyes, they would have known the sad truths.
To show the current state of mind the Director has done a brilliant job with the actors, focusing on hopelessness and loneliness. The movie improves understanding of the long-term effects and how hard recovery will be for people and their families.
But they now stop worrying and make a new beginning. “Until We Meet Again” is a firm reminder to us all to start a new beginning in the new normal.
Indeed, life is no longer as it once was for all concerned. Your daily routine has changed and so has your thought process, trying to cram everything into one day and realizing it is NOT going to happen. New Normal is rearranging your daily schedule to accommodate all concerned—loved one, caregiver and members of your immediate family.
The New Normal can even interfere with the old lifestyle. Maybe the time will have to change and be a little normal later on.
It’s those routines we’ve been locked into that make it hard to adjust to that New Normal. Some of us get comfortable in our routines and are creatures of habit, and go into panic mode when something comes along to challenge our daily rituals.
But the truth is we must get across all fear and hopelessness, and start a new beginning. Because where there is hope there is a way, and surely We will Meet Again.
