May 4th 2020

‘Red Zones’ created by Luca Vullo, Ondemotive Productions and co-produced by Videoplugger. ‘Red Zones’ has been commissioned by SKY Italy and the first episode have been broadcast on SKY tg24 and is now available for international distribution, an English language version is in production, and 3 new episodes are in development.

Pain, anger, fear. But also the hope and desire to fight and change. The feelings and stories of the people who are struggling to contain the pandemic are at the centre of ‘Red Zones’, a four-episode documentary series broadcast from Sunday 3rd of May on Sky TG24 in Italy.

The series shows the “red areas” of Europe, through the eyes of ordinary people who tell how their lives have been overwhelmed by the pandemic and the lockdown. A chorus of voices that reveals how the virus has influenced our psychophysical and emotional state and has changed the way we relate and our lifestyle. Italy, as well as in the spread of the pandemic, is the first port of call of the docu-series, which then moves to the rest of the continent, with stories that repeat themselves and yet somehow change in the various countries, different in culture, in way of reacting, of doing school, of work, of offering assistance and support.

The story starts in Italy, the country where physical contact, socialization, family, friendship, passion and ingenuity represent the strengths of its people. It is one of the most affected countries, both in terms of contagions and from an economic, tourist and psychological point of view. In the biggest restriction on movements since the Second World War, 60 million Italians face unprecedented measures when schools, businesses and shops close, while hospitals face an overcrowding crisis.

Thanks to the voices of the many interviewees, different in age, ethnicity, wealth, profession, health and lifestyle, the episode shows how people are experiencing this drama. An intimate and emotional narration reveals the effect that all this is having on the life, families and future of the new generations. These are stories of health workers, mayors, pharmacists, mothers, children, disabled people, teachers, priests, soldiers, artists and infected people, who are supporting their battle against the coronavirus, united by the awareness that no one would ever have expected to live such a moment drastic and difficult, yet also from the absolute need to remain human beings and from the hope of being able to start again from a different, more responsible and aware world.

Luca Vullo, the series director, creator and producer, CEO Ondemotive says,
“In late February 2020, while I was at my girlfriend’s house in Lombardy, I was overwhelmed by the news of the pandemic, and I have been stuck in the red zone for more than 2 months. All my long-planned shows and assignments were cancelled with immediate effect and with inevitable financial consequences.
After my initial reaction of fear and concern, my defence mechanism has been to convert a moment of despair into creativity, using cinema as therapy. I wanted to make sense for myself, what we are going through at this particular time in history. The challenge grew as the film became more complex and involved people from different areas of Italy, we had to work on a tight budget, all locked in our homes. After talking with my friend and colleague Emanuele Galloni, we decided to create the ‘Red Zones’ series together, and despite the difficulties dictated by the particular situation, with the help from friends, colleagues and relatives we have completed the first episode of four.”

Emanuele Galloni,  the series producer, CEO Videoplugger says,
“We are proud of this great collaboration with Luca Vullo and Ondemotive. In a moment when most televisual productions are shut, it is a feat to manage to produce a documentary series. We want to tell the stories of ordinary people and show how we share the same hopes, fears and wishes for a better world, despite these incredible circumstances. Our project wants to show also how creativity and goodwill can take us out of this, we shall overcome.
It has been a very difficult journey to get this project on its feet as we are living through the biggest pandemic in the last 100 years, and never in our lifetime has life stopped so completely in its tracks. Italy has been especially hard hit, the centre of my home city Rome is eerily quiet, the busy piazzas and monuments usually overflowing with tourists from all over the world lay empty, and so does the rest of Italy.
For me personally, producing this in-depth documentary together with Luca Vullo and giving a voice to so many incredible people has been a cathartic experience.”

CREDITS:

A CO-PRODUCTION between Ondemotive Productions Ltd & Videoplugger Ltd

CREATOR, DIRECTOR: Luca Vullo

PRODUCERS: Luca Vullo e Emanuele Galloni

EDITOR: LUCA VULLO

ANIMATION: Roberto Gallà

DRAWINGS: bambini dell’Istituto Comprensivo di Lozzo Atestino e di Vò

LEGO DESIGN AND CREATIONS : Pietro Chiarella

MUSICAL SCORE: Giuseppe Vasapolli

MUSIC: Giuseppe Vasapolli, Libero Reina, Nino Errera

COLOUR CORRECTION: Sebastiano Saro Greco

POST-PRODUCTION AUDIO: Diego Schiavo

PRODUCTION SECRETARY: Liana Vullo

GRAPHICS: Paola Selene Fiorino