'Corona Life' to start streaming online Tuesday
Corona Life, a new series aimed at increasing education about the novel coronavirus and reducing stigma, will start streaming online from Tuesday, July 14.
The series, which is produced by inGenius Africa led by respected film-maker, Kwame Boadi, will stream on online portals of the Graphic Communications Group Limited and Kente TV twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Actors Gloria Osei Sarfo and Mikki Osei Berko play the lead roles in Corona Life. Gloria plays a wife who is COVID-19 savvy and strictly adheres to all the prescribed safety protocols while her husband, Mikki, is COVID-unwise and refuses to observe the protocols, eventually contracting the virus.
The series is sponsored by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources which aims to demystify coronavirus, increase education, and also help reduce stigma. It will answer questions on what it means to be quarantined or isolated and recovery.
Motivation
In an interview, the producer and director, Kwame Boadi, explained what moved him to come up with the concept.
“As the pandemic evolved, it became a big thing and especially when we were in lockdown in Ghana, all the narrative around showed that the virus had come to stay.”
“Without vaccines or a cure, it meant that we were going to have to live with the coronavirus. And as a creative I look at topical issues, challenges of the day and try to create something that can solve it.”
“At InGenius we specialise in edutainment andi it was in that light that I thought of the concept. More so even now, at the peak of the pandemic, when I drive around I see lots of people not social distancing or wearing nose masks.”
“I felt there was something needed which would sensitise people even more, drive home the safety precautions and how to go about life even with this virus in our midst,” he said.
Expectations
So far 14 episodes of Corona Life have been shot and Kwame Boadi said he had enjoyed working with Gloria Osei Sarfo and Mikki Osei Berko, praising them for their professionalism.
“It's been a pleasure really. They are both consummate professionals who deliver when you tell them what you want.”
“Plus, they have such great chemistry which we saw when their behind the scenes photos sparked a whole lot of hullabaloo on social media. Those photos were for set design in their onscreen home but Ghanaians thought the two were planning to tie the knot,” he stated.
Kwame Boadi expressed optimism that the show would achieve its aim and help Ghanaians to be cautious.
“We will be doing a lot of advocacy so much so that they become COVID-WISE advocates. We intend to leverage their following on and off social media to make this happen,” he added.
Apart from streaming online, Akan versions of Corona Life will show on Adom TV and UTV. It will also air on Citi TV and TV3 with English subtitles.