Filmdemics: the History of Modern Pandemics Through the Lens of Cinema

Abstract

The 21st century has been shaped by the COVID -19 pandemic, which impacted on social behaviour and artistic production. Cinema was not unaffected. The “pandemic movie” has become a genre of its own in the entertainment press. A review of the field conducted in the context of a film club coupled with literature review could trace the history of pandemics since the beginnings of cinema. Spanish Flu, Asian Flu, Hong Kong Flu, Ebola, HIV and sexually transmitted infections, bio-weapons, the SARS and COVID-19 pandemics have all been described through the lens of cinema and science. Fiction predicted, described and influenced contemporary and future healthcare experiences. Behind the scenes, a new hero is emerging in the panorama of cinematography, the epidemiologist as a trademark of the future pandemic movies. For all these reasons, cinematic representations of disease are a valuable resource for those involved in the education of medical professionals.