There, they filmed people punching hospital doors, medical staff fainting from exhaustion and relatives wailing helplessly as they said goodbye to their loved ones.

Now, these images have been edited by New York-based director Hao Wu.

Medical staff take care of Covid-19 patients in the intensive care unit at Wuhan hospital, Hubei province, in February.

Filmed in a cinematic style without dialogue or direct-to-camera interviews, the film relies entirely on the authenticity of its scenes of doctors and patients grappling with a terrifying new reality.

Director Wu contacted the two filmmakers, one of whom asked to remain anonymous, after they returned to celebrate the New Year with their families and witnessed China’s first lockdown.

`It was a terrible filming experience for them,` Mr. Wu said.

Wu also had personal reasons for pursuing this project.

But as the pandemic spread to other countries like the United States, the desire to blame was replaced by a desire to document how people lived through the tribulation and how we could share this experience.

Wu said that in some ways, access in Wuhan is easier.

Meanwhile, hospitals in Wuhan were desperately short of personal protective equipment and initially welcomed the news to solicit donations and volunteers to assist.

The film avoids politics and blame and focuses on personal stories of tragedy and courage, hope and despair.

`I really want to show the film in China,` said Mr. Wu, who hopes the film can help his homeland reflect on its losses.

Anh Ngoc (According to AFP)