ShowBizzBuzz: Laura Weissbecker Stars in Poignant New Film ‘COVID-19 Ground Zero’
ShowBizzBuzz = Entertainment News…here’s the latest:
Who is Buzzworthy?
Actress Laura Weissbecker, who stars as a New York City nurse struggling to survive through COVID in international award-winning dramatic feature film, COVID-19 Ground Zero.
The film already won Best Foreign Film at the Sant Andreu de la Barca Festival when it premiered in Barcelona and now makes its North American premiere at the Chelsea Film Festival in New York on October 17, 2021.
What is the premise of COVID-19 Ground Zero?
The film is described as: a slice-of-life in New York City between February and May 2020, when a dedicated frontline hospital nurse, Jessie (Weissbecker), and her boyfriend Andy (Brandon Sutton), are forced to face the sickness surrounding them. Set against the chaotic political backdrop, the pandemic that engulfed the Big Apple and the Black Lives Matter protests, the couple discovers true love, compassion and a determination to live.
What else do we know about the film?
Laura conceived the idea and co-wrote the film script along with Mustafa Ozgun, who also directed the project. The duo turned to veteran producer Donald Kushner (Tron, Tron Legacy, Monster) to help and shot the project in France using a small crew due to the pandemic restrictions.
Real documented footage taken during the pandemic in New York City hospitals was added, while Italian composer Marco Valerio Antonini (House of Cards, Star Wars gaming franchise) scored the film.
Why did Laura Weissbecker want to create this film?
“Seven years ago, I had a near death experience. I was in intensive care on a ventilator and I will never physically or emotionally be the same again. No one who experiences this type of situation and lives ever will be. As an artist, writing this script was my way give a voice to all the dedicated nurses and thank all the courageous healthcare workers; everything is based on true stories.”
Where else have we seen Laura Weissbecker?
Film fans will remember Laura as the French heiress Katherine opposite Jackie Chan in the zodiac treasure hunting film, Chinese Zodiac. The film remains a Top 5 box-office blockbuster in China and Laura received several international awards for the role, including the Chinese Huading for Best Global New Actress. The French American actress has emerged globally, including notable roles in Thierry Binisti’s Versailles, The Dream of a King (France), Cedric Klpisch’s Russian Dolls (France), Rolf Silber’s TV movie Achtung Artz (Germany), and recurring in the Amazon-Sony series Mad Dogs (US).
How can you keep up with Laura Weissbecker?
Visit her website at: LauraWeissbecker.com
Or find her on social media
Instagram: @lauraweissbecker
Facebook: /lauraweissbecker
