When press notes ask you not to give details of the film that might help the Chinese Government persecute people who took part, you’ve got to take it seriously.
76 Days takes us to the initial response to COVID-19 during the Wuhan lockdown this winter.
To put it simply, 76 Days is the kind of fly on the wall journalism that while occasionally scary is just something that you can’t look away from.
There’s no human face to this movie because quite frankly the front line workers are fully head to toe in PPE and the patients all have masks on…but that’s kind of the point.
Directors Hao Wu, Weixi Chen & Anonymous have gone beyond making something that is any kind of political statement or social commentary but instead have documented a moment that has truly changed all of our lives on a global basis. We can see the fear and anxiety but also the patience, humor and humility that is needed from both doctors, nurses and patients to truly be able to manage this crisis.
What 76 Days does is so vital as what New York based filmmaker Hao Wu does using the footage he got from the people on the ground is making something that is not only historical but vital in the human moment that we are all collectively sharing. It reminds us that we can’t stop working and being vigilant because we collectively need each other to ensure we get through this as a species.
David Voigt is a Toronto based writer with a problem and a passion for the moving image and all things cinema. Having moved from production to the critical side of the aisle for well over 15 years now at outlets like Examiner.com, Criticize This, Dork Shelf (Now That Shelf), and to.Night Newspaper.
He’s been all across the continent; serving on the FIPRESCI Jury at the Festival Du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal, covering festivals out side of Toronto like Calgary Underground Film Festival, CUFF Docs, Slamdance, Fantasia, SXSW, DOC NYC, Santa Barbara Film Festival, New York Asian Film Festival and many others
However, In the uncertain world of modern film journalism, David also knew that he needed to have a hand in writing and cementing his own contributions on the global film scene.
Having eclipsed the 10 year anniversary of his own outlet, In The Seats, where he’s been striving to support film (and TV) from all walks of life and his podcast “In The Seats With…” where after 5 & ½ years and over 750 episodes he’s talked with a wide variety of filmmakers, actors, behind the scenes artisans and so much more on the art of storytelling for the screen, which is spawning the launch of a new show in the Spring of 2026. “ITS: Soundtracks” will focus on the use of soundtrack and score in film which he believes is a combination that is the cinematic equivalent of Peanut Butter and Chocolate.
All this as well as hosting and moderating a variety of big screen events around the city, covering film in all its forms is just a way of life for him.
