I’ve always been interested in the idea of cultural trauma (also called “historical trauma”). If it’s your first time encountering this term, click here for a good primer!
To summarize the incredible article above, there may be times when something happens to a group of people that is so terrible/stressful/traumatic, it not only impacts them, but also their children, and their children’s children, for generations to come.
I have no doubt that the research coming out of the pandemic will reveal that we experienced a cultural-level trauma together. We are really just starting to process the consequences of the fear, uncertainty, isolation, loss, and grief that we have felt and are still feeling.
Meanwhile, a miniseries called Station Eleven (HBO) was quietly being filmed. Production of the series began in January 2020 before being put on hold during the pandemic until February 2021. A series filmed before, during and after a pandemic happens to be a story about life before, during and after a pandemic. And, this unintended meta-project presents a model of healing through creative expression.
It’s worth noting that care should be taken with watching the series, particularly the first few episodes. Some scenes are very evocative of the early days of the pandemic, and some viewers might need more time before revisiting those feelings. Listen to your body and take breaks as needed.
This story is all about the characters, and they are incredibly well flushed-out. The acting is superb (the child actors are particularly impressive) and the show earned seven Emmy nods for writing, sound production, cinematography, and music composition. Creative kids will find lots to enjoy and parse apart.
When faced with pandemic-related trauma, the characters seek to heal through various creative mediums. These include art in the form of a graphic novel (with the tagline “I remember damage”) that proves to serve an important plot point.
Another group of creatives called “The Travelling Symphony” brings the joy of music to remote areas of survivors.
And, believe it or not, the Shakespearean play “Hamlet” plays a major role throughout. Theater kids rejoyce!
Rather than being a stark reminder of the current state of things, for me the series was a balm. The idea that in times of trouble, our creativity can soothe our souls and bring us back together- well, it was one I sorely needed.
I asked a Station Eleven online community what they would tell psychology students about this show, and this is what they said:
“I teach AP Psych and love suggesting the show to students”
“I was a cognitive science kid so the philosophy of the kind stuff jives :)”
“I completely agree that there is an obvious message about trauma, art, and community. There are many other more subtle messages that touch on these same subjects as well. The show is psychologically rich”
“I’m a psych/social work student and this show is an amazing testament to using the create process for processing trauma”
“Sounds like you could give that prompt as an assignment :)”
I’d love to know what you thought of this show!
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