Russel Houghten's Urban Isolation Video Depicts A City Without Inhabitants

Urban Isolation (Urban Isolation video screenshot)

JAKARTA - The COVID-19 pandemic or corona virus is currently spreading around the world. Some countries are self-quarantining and some have even implemented lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus. Several years ago, this situation was described by videographer Russel Houghten through a video entitled Urban Isolation.

Uploaded in 2014, Houghten described Urban Isolation as a city without the inhabitants, vehicles or crowds that usually fill the city. Los Angeles in this video looks empty with a skateboarder who skates smoothly through the city.

Urban Isolation is part of the video series The Berries REDirect between Red and The Berries. The three-minute video was uploaded by Houghten again via his personal Instagram account to match the current situation and the social distancing that is rife. Houghten uploaded the video again and got a response from netizens.

He also invited his younger brother, Richard Houghten to provide the background for Urban Isolation with a song called Empty. According to his social media bio, he is currently a filmmaker for the Brindle Collective.

The depiction of Urban Isolation in the video is relevant to the current situation, because daily activities cannot distance one person from another. That is why the corona virus moves easily.

Today, Tuesday, March 24, Los Angeles has reported 536 cases and is one of the states with the fastest spreading of the coronavirus.

In Indonesia, the government has also reminded its citizens to keep their distance and carry out self-isolation. To reduce the spread, people are asked to carry out activities such as working and worshiping at home. This is also supported by the temporary closure of several offices, entertainment centers and mall buildings.