Video, 2021.
In limbo.
On a rainy day in Los Santos, the fictional city featured in 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V, we see through the eyes of various denizens as they do their best to stay out of the storm. Unable or unwilling to leave shelter, they only watch as life passes by outside, the familiar percussion of combat (inherent to the experience of living in their violent world) a constant reminder that the world hasn’t stopped in spite of the unfavorable conditions.
At its core, Still Loading is an expression of the restless anxiety that resulted from spending months in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which it was filmed. More broadly, however, it reflects the “fear of missing out,” the feelings of regret and apprehension felt by anyone whose plans to attend a social event or put a goal into motion have ever been cut short by circumstances beyond their control.
Sometimes the storm can seem to go on forever.