Laurent Witz, the Oscar-winning director and writer of the 2013 animated short film Mr. Hublot, helmed, served as EP and shot via Zeilt Productions this short animation film from Y&R New York which opens at an empty Grand Central Station in a seemingly post-apocalyptic world. The world-famous station’s iconic clock is on the verge of losing power, and New York City at large is crumbling to pieces. The dramatic orchestral music intensifies as New Yorkers are seen carrying various parts of the city–street signs, manhole covers, park benches, even the Grand Central clock–to an unknown location. A sculptor then unveils the new, beating heart he has built for New York City using the donated parts that have been brought to him. We see that hope and life are restored to a once-gloomy, melancholic city.
This short is the centerpiece of a campaign designed to tap into New York pride and inspire us to fight for the thing that makes New York great – New Yorkers. The campaign also speaks to the duality of donation. Those who do register are not only helping to ensure that New Yorkers and New York live on, but also that they will live on through a meaningful legacy.
New York is currently ranked 49th out of the 50 states in a really important area–life-saving organ donation. Every 15 hours, another New Yorker dies while waiting for a donated organ. When asked, 83% of New Yorkers will tell you that they support organ donation–yet only 23% are actually registered to be donors.