It’s been said that adversity can fuel growth and greatness. It can build character and resilience. And sometimes from the ashes of its inevitable pain springs up a newfound sense of empathy and compassion that shows us all the power of the human spirit to love, to learn, to connect, and to serve. Sometimes when good humans come together through a shared experience, they can positively impact the world through a simple message of hope and courage.
The 3-minute film, “Andrà Tutto Bene” (“Everything Will Be Alright”) is one such message.
Told through an original song and mesmerizing visuals, it celebrates the unsung heroes in a COVID-19 plagued world. This hauntingly beautiful narrative artistically tells the story of people who have united to overcome the fallout of a devastating virus. It is much more than a song or a short film; rather, it is a resounding world anthem of hope, composed and performed by Cristóvam, with a film concept created and directed by Pedro Varela. These two Portuguese friends came together through music and art to inspire others. Little did they know that just 48 hours after publishing it, their message would touch the hearts of millions around the globe.
I discovered it on YouTube and felt compelled to simultaneously smile and cry. With all the negative stats, news and rhetoric lately, it’s easy to forget that there can be subtle beauty behind the pain. And while so many of us currently feel confined and helpless, even temporarily defeated, from social distancing and the seemingly ‘new normal,’ this short film gently comforts us with positive perspective:
“One day we’ll remember the hardest of times when distance meant love and it kept us alive.”
It reminds me that we all play an important role, whether from the front lines, in the delivery trucks, or sheltering in place.
I reached out to Pedro Varela, who is the film’s Screenwriter and Director, simply because I was curious to learn the story behind the film. “Andrà Tutto Bene” began as a tribute to the struggles Italy was facing early in the Pandemic as social isolation fast became a hard reality. His friend, Cristóvam, an up-and-coming song composer, presented the first verses of the song to Varela.
“After hearing the first verse, I knew we needed to create a real connection with the audience, while portraying those at home and those on the front line,” Varela says, “for it’s a message and a chronicle of the times we are all living, moments of uncertainty where we need to build some hope.”
While in quarantine in Portugal they created the piece in only a few days, which was the culmination of solo sessions of recordings, remotely directed filming, and pre-requested footage arriving from all over the world. Just days later they started sharing it with friends and family and it fast became a global phenomenon.
Every time I watch it, I cannot help but be proud of the potential we have as human beings to help one another. And although I am social distancing in Southern California, I feel a bit more connected to the collective human spirit and heart that can transcend governments, borders and cultures. There is a peace that comes from knowing we are not alone and that, as this musical message reminds us, although divided we fight, united we stand.
We will be alright, even when it isn’t. And at the end of a challenging day, this is a message I long to hear.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N8kJT6Tb64
Originally published on LinkedIn.com