Every year on May 4 and 5, the Dutch reflect on World War II. May 4th is remembrance day for the victims of this devastating war. On May 5th the liberation from the German occupation is celebrated.
Although it’s been nearly 70 years since World War II ended, there are many elderly people who still struggle with their experiences and memories of their childhood during that period–issues they had to deal with during the war between 1940 and 1945, and which have carried on over the decades to today. In those early years there was no organization like the nonprofit War Child to help the children.
On May 4, War Child has made a tradition of rolling out a PSA in which someone who was a child in World War II finally shares his story after all those years. He looks back on the consequences the unresolved issues have had on his life.
Now we hear from Jan who shares his story for the very first time in his life in this commercial. He knows better than anyone what horrible psychological consequences a war can have on a child’s life.
We see a young child speak words which are in Jan’s now adult voice. He recalls when he was five years old–while playing in the street–seeing Nazis taking children, the elderly and disabled people and brutally throwing them into a truck–bodies piled on top of each other. They were being taken to concentration camps. We hear Jan’s voice–as mouthed by a child–tell of the images that he can never forget.
Then messages appear on screen which read, “Don’t let this story become his story”/”Help us take the war out of a child.”
The camera then takes us to an elderly Jan today, teary eyed over the memories of his childhood. The War Child logo appears along with a website address: warchildholland.org.
CreditsClient War Child Agency Doom&Dickson, Amsterdam Dennis Baars, Erik Falke, creative (concept); Marcel Frensch, Rogier Mahieu, creative direction; Joost van Middelaar, Sander van de Vlasakker, creative (development); Hanneke Kampschreur, Sarah Giliam, producers; Joey Duis, strategy. Production hazazaH, Amsterdam Bram Schouw, director; Judith Engels, Shaheen Butt, production; Jasper Wolf, DP. Editorial Kapsalon Editing & Hard Cuts Annelien van Wijnbergen, editor. Post Crabsalad, Amsterdam Laurens Orij, online editor; Kasper Ophof, color grading. Audio Soundcircus, Amsterdam Feike de Wit, engineer.
Top Spot of the Week: EHRAC, Animation Studio NOMINT Depict Life “In Limbo” As Families Search For Loved Ones
This animated film titled In Limbo depicts the journey of a heroic woman protagonist representing the countless families in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe (where Chechnya is situated) searching for their forcibly disappeared loved ones. Utilizing theatrical elements, the film highlights the unnatural disruption caused by enforced disappearances and delves into the profound trauma these families endure. It emphasizes their long battles with the domestic authorities as they seek answers. The film also underscores the vital role of community support in helping these families cope and continue their fight for answers, serving as a compelling call to action for justice and human rights.
Through intimate storytelling, In Limbo raises awareness of the ongoing uncertainty that leaves families in a perpetual state of limbo, unable to find closure.
Directed by Afterman--the animation duo consisting of Tsvetelina Zdraveva and Jerred North--and created and produced by London-based animation studio NOMINT, In Limbo was commissioned by the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC).
In a joint statement, Zdraveva and North shared, “Our film takes place on a theater stage, highlighting how such tragedies are far removed from ordinary life,” they continued. “The stage is circular, resembling an artificial, perpetually spinning obstacle course, with a target—the red tail lights—just within sight yet never within reach, symbolizing the family’s never-ending quest for justice.”
“We used a limited primary color palette to contrast the two worlds all families are pulled between. Minimalist compositions of starkly silhouetted characters and environments create the ominous atmosphere of a deeply painful and... Read More