Love in the time of COVID-19. No, we’re not talking about a spinoff of Gabriel García Márquez’s literary classic, “Love in the Time of Cholera.” Rather it’s a reference to Eva Lanska’s riveting short series “Motek,” a love story set in London amid the pandemic, which debuts on itsashort.com/motek on Sunday, February 14, 8PM PST, 6PM CST – Valentine’s Day.
“I created and made Motek during COVID-19,” comments Lanska, a London-based director and screenwriter. “The desire to love, to be loved, and to find true love are universal themes, and I believe the story will resonate with audiences worldwide.”
“Motek,” titled after the Hebrew term of endearment ‘sweetheart’, is a series of short vignettes featuring the logline “the more perfect the couple, the more terrifying their secrets from each other are.”
The story centers on a music teacher named David (Max Katz), a London bohemian raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, and his student Evelyn (Ellinor Persdotter), a Swedish aristocrat newly relocated to the city. Both carry deeply-rooted secrets that threaten to tear their relationship asunder.
“The couple in the Web series ‘Motek’ have the same difficulties as any other,” she said, “This film reflects contemporary relationships like a mirror.”
Lanska got the idea to create Motek after observing how the pandemic lockdowns impacted the lives of her acquaintances. Before COVID-19, they lived active, independent lives where serious relationships were not the focus.
But with the rise of the coronavirus, their social lives, like many others, were profoundly altered.
“Absolutely everything was closed in an instant. And it was at this moment that people had the opportunity to reassess their priorities,” Lanska observed. “Oddly enough, many couples finally found each other during this time.”
Motek was partially inspired by those stories, she said.
Lanska wrote and directed the series, with help from Music Director Ed Watkins, Editor Rob Ward, Director of Photography Dan Parkes, and Casting Director Matthew Bailey.
When asked what she hopes viewers will glean from the series, Lanska noted that people are incredibly afraid of disappointment.
“Many couples find it difficult to open up and trust each other. Now, when time moves at a cosmic speed, it is especially important to overcome the barrier of mistrust and not miss the chance to meet your soul mate.”
You can watch Motek on Valentine’s Day by visiting itsashort.com/motek.
