A Tinder animated short film featuring a lesbian couple reminds us that we still want reach out and connect with people despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The film, which is part of Tinder’s true Swipe Story, looks at how two women form a connection over shared digital experiences leading to how much they like each other.
A Tinder animated short film from India
Tinder India released the film, which was a collaboration between queer singer-songwriter GrapeGuitarBox and Deepti, a queer illustrator and animator.
This was also done in partnership with The Museum of Queer Swipe Stories, a curated archival project by Tinder and the Gaysi Family to document “the many moods, experiences, and complexities of queer dating.”
The film likewise features increasing representation of South Asian trans and queer voices in the audio-visual medium.
Sharing the video on YouTube, Tinder India wrote: “There’s a lot to love about dating in 2020.”
“Based on a true story, this is how Meera and Priya met on Tinder, worked together on Zoom, introduced their pets to each other virtually, kept each other company online, and started something epic!” they said.
A lesbian story in a Tinder animated short film
Based on a true story, the film starts with a woman called Priya, who is surviving the lockdown on her in Mumbai.
While going through Tinder, she comes across Meera’s profile and swipes right. Matching, the two women start a conversation, with messages flying back and forth all day.
The two introduce their pets to each other virtually, and keep each other company online. However, Priya wakes up one morning to find no new messages from Meera on Tinder.
Then she receives a video call from Meera. From then on, the two talk through Zoom calls and plan their eventual meeting when the lockdown is done.
Check out the video below and tell us what you think in the comments section!
Life, love, dating, and sex under lockdown
With the coronavirus pandemic, many LGBTQ people have come to rely on dating apps to connect with others even while observing health restrictions.
Last April, Tinder received over 3 billion swipes, the most it has ever recorded in its eight year history. Likewise, Bumble has recorded a 21% increase in video calls in the same month.
HER– another app for lesbian, queer, bisexual and women and non-binary people– also reported a heavy spike in usage.
Many governments around the world also recommended that people avoid dating. Last August, a leading UK sexual health charity, Terrence Higgins Trust, urged people to avoid kissing and face-to-face sexual positions.
Following research it carried out in partnership with sexual health clinic 56 Dean Street, the charity group also recommended the wearing of masks during sexual encounters.