“Once Upon a Pandemic” is the heartwarming and heartbreaking story of a young girl Maddie, self-isolated in her home during a global pandemic while her Mom is in strict quarantine away from the family. Maddie leans on her Dad for guidance, but finds that he can’t always be there for her, so she learns to cope with a heartbreaking twist with the resiliency only a child has.

Ryan wrote the screenplay one morning while in self-isolation, touching on the new reality that parents are navigating – teacher, entertainer, psychologist – all while trying to maintain a level of strength in a world turned upside down. What struck him was the strength and resilience that our children have exhibited, more specifically how well his daughter Maddie has handled such change.

Left to their own devices, what would a child do in a situation like the one faced during a global pandemic?

Calgary, Alberta
Shot on RED