Mukunda Angulo spent much of her childhood in a four-bedroom apartment on New York City's Lower East Side with her mother, sister and five brothers. His father, concerned about the city's crime and obscenity, prohibited them from going out freely. As documented in the 2015 documentary "The Pack ," movies became the siblings' window into the world around them; in the process of watching and recreating scenes together, they created a space for their imaginations to roam. At 15, Mukunda defied his father's orders and sneaked out onto the street below, ultimately prompting his family to reintegrate into society. Mukunda, 25, lives in Los Angeles and works as a freelance film and television crew member. Here, Mukunda describes what it's like to go through voluntary isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, a decade after escaping mandatory isolation.
When I first started venturing out [at 15], society didn't really mean anything to me. Everything was confusing and disorganized compared to what I'd seen in movies or TV. But now for the first time, life feels like a movie. It's like a contagious disease ; everyone has to follow the same rules to survive.
A lot of people are acting like it's the end of the world, and I think one thing we've learned from all of this is the power of fear. It seems that what people fear most is money, and money is not something that the human body depends on for survival. All you need is food, shelter and companionship. The worst thing about times like these is that even though the whole world has a common enemy - the coronavirus - money is still a big issue. Can you imagine if the end of the world really happened? Would we still use the money, or would we say, you know what, it's just not worth it. Let's help each other.
It's a scary time and a confusing time, but I've always believed that the world is what you make it. One thing that has always helped me is creating. This was a tricky thing because I moved to Los Angeles at the end of February and I left all my art supplies in New York. I don’t have a TV yet, and I refuse to watch new movies on my phone screen, so I’ve been writing down movie ideas and revisiting old favorites — The Dark Knight , Goodfellas, Casino, Us "Gangster". These are movies that truly captivate you and make you forget that three hours have passed.
I also try to meditate twice a day, which I would recommend to anyone. Just take 20 minutes to allow yourself to hit the reset button or understand what is happening to you in this moment. It's a lot different than looking at what's going on in the world on your phone. You can turn it off. I mean, turn off your phone.
My family and I say hello to each other from time to time. We'd all been through this before, so we didn't feel the need to talk for long about how we were feeling. I think a couple of my brothers are quarantining together. Both my mom and my sister are. I have no contact with my father.
A lot of people say, "Oh, I guess you're used to it." But there's a huge difference between staying in an area for safety reasons and staying indoors because you don't have the freedom. There is a difference between having no choice and having a choice. I'm glad to see helplines and support groups for people in abusive situations. In this situation, there is usually a dominant figure who feels in control. What I hope people see through this experience is that those people are just as powerless as they are. They can't go anywhere or do anything they want. I hope this helps people see the cracks and stand up.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1(800) 799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org .
If you think you have symptoms of coronavirus, including fever, shortness of breath and cough, call your doctor before getting tested. If you are concerned about the spread of the virus in your community, visit the CDC for the latest information and resources, or to seek mental health support. You can find all of Bustle's coronavirus coverage here.
