SANE, a mental health charity in the U.K., has launched a national advertising campaign to encourage those struggling with depression to find their voice and call for help. Created pro bono by ad agency Iris, the campaign has as a centerpiece this film which portrays a man being silenced by an unidentified intruder who covers his mouth as he struggles to answer the phone. The intruder is a metaphor for the man’s depression, who wants to stop him talking. The film ends with the line: “Your depression doesn’t want you to talk. But we do”.
The nature of depression can discourage people from talking about their illness, cutting them off from help. Yet research shows 69% of helpline callers found that talking to someone enabled them to cope better and feel supported, less anxious, and more in control. Through this campaign SANE is encouraging more people to get in touch.
Youness Benali of Sweet Shop, who directed the PSA, said, “This script gave me the opportunity to create a powerful film. A film that is visually striking but also emotionally gripping. A film that both educates our viewers and inspires and directs them towards the help that they or the people in their lives who battles depression so desperately need.”
CreditsClient SANE Agency Iris David Prideaux, executive creative director; Matt Weston, Pete Sanna, associate creative directors; Adam Walker, producer. Production Sweetshop Youness Benali, director; Justin Edmund-White, producer; Spencer Dodd, managing director. Editorial TenThree Ellie Johnson, editor. Postproduction Electric Theatre Collective Jason Wallis, colorist. Audio Post Factory Studios Anthony Moore, Jack Hallett, sound engineers. Music Supervision Theodore David Bass, music supervision.
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