Crafted from firsthand interviews with New York City medical first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic, THE LINE cuts through the media and political noise to reveal the lived experiences of frontline medical workers in New York and their battle to save lives in a system built to serve the bottom line.
Creators Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen’s documentary-style work premiered on The Pubic Theater’s YouTube channel on July 8 and has been extended through September 1.
“In spring 2020, we conducted anonymous interviews with NYC frontline medical workers battling the COVID-19 virus,” said Blank and Jensen. “Through these interviews, we began to see care as a radical response to institutionalized violence and the systems that perpetuate it. Created from quarantine in ‘rapid response’ to this national emergency, THE LINE presents a fundamental redefinition of what it means to protect and serve, examining the fault lines in our system through the words of the brave people who show up every day to care for us all.”
In collaboration with this production, the Public has partnered with The Physician Affiliate Group of New York (PAGNY), one of the largest physicians group in the nation. PAGNY and its Health & Research Foundation created the PAGNY COVID Relief Fund to provide frontline workers with help and continuing emotional health supports. Learn more and consider providing support.
Health disparities among New Yorkers are large, persistent and increasing. Public Health Solutions (PHS) exists to change that trajectory and support vulnerable New York City families in living their healthiest lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented number of New Yorkers turning to PHS for basic necessities such as food and health insurance support. Learn more and consider providing support.
