Wuhan Wuhan

NOW ON PBS! In late 2019, the coronavirus began infecting people, and rather quickly, it spread around the world and caused lockdowns in dozens of countries. There were groups of individuals who believed that the virus was much more severe than people gave it credit for, while others thought it was being blown out of proportion. Wuhan Wuhan tells the story of Yin, his pregnant wife, Xu, and a series of other individuals back in February of 2020 as they deal with the pandemic and its effects at the epicenter of the virus: Wuhan, China.

“…the story of Yin, his pregnant wife, Xu…back in February of 2020 as they deal with the pandemic…”

While it’s clear that life must still go on for essential workers, the world changed at a breakneck pace, altering the landscape of life as we know it forever. Director Yung Chang’s documentary provides viewers with a closer look at what took place within China during the earliest days of the lockdown. COVID-19 managed to create a significant amount of division around the world. Discussions revolving around the virus have caused many to question its origin, severity, and how long it will last. The media has typically taken sides and attempted to force its viewers to feel a particular way about what occurred over the past year and a half. Wuhan Wuhan, however, takes a very different approach. It simply presents a series of facts to the audience and provides raw footage of what took place in hospitals throughout China.

As the documentary plays out, viewers are given a tour of the best and worst-case scenarios during quarantine. While I have firsthand experience with the massive division regarding COVID-19 throughout the United States, it seems that the discord present throughout China, as they were forced into lockdown, altering their lives, was just as bad as anywhere else. While I’m still bitter about the fact that I was locked in my home for months on end, it seems that China’s approach toward locking the country down and attempting to right the ship was far more extreme, leading me down a road that somewhat resembles relief.