Lockdown and social distancing have left a deep mark on young people’s mental health, which, together with the data showing an increase in depression during the pandemic by a shocking 700%, motivated the team to create a short film. This fight will be a massive problem that society will face in the years to come.
We lost the hugs, the opportunity for new experiences, and too many other things that we used to take for granted. There were times when we thought it would stay that way forever, even though we never lost hope. We haven’t had a more difficult period in recent memory, but now we choose to celebrate life!
Being aware of the importance of dancing to the same beat more than ever before, we are eager and finally ready to be together again! For our minds to be healthy again, we need to move our bodies. The consequences of the pandemic on mental health will be investigated in the years to come, but their existence is already apparent. We feel them every day, counting the months of life under restrictions and prohibitions. The time has come for this unfortunate countdown to stop.
EXIT is a story that has lasted for twenty years and is often mentioned as the only bright spot for young people during dark times. Generations have grown up with this story, and now it is ready for a new beginning and countless new plots. For mornings at the Arena, screaming in the tunnel, holding hands across the bridge, making eye contact with singers from the front row, kissing in the back row, for freedom and love. We are ready to celebrate life!
EXIT Festival brings a short film, “EXIT the Pandemic: Dance To Freedom “, about a difficult fifteen months, but also a bright future toward which the festival always strives. The film’s director is Ivan Đurović, who lives and works in New York, having completed his master’s studies at Columbia University.
