The International Committee of the Red Cross has released this film, created by Cheil Spain, to tell the real stories of people looking for their missing relatives.
The campaign aims to break the tired prejudice of the typical static image of relatives posing with a missing person’s photograph. Instead, this photo comes to life to tell the story of the family relentlessly seeking to find a loved one.
Directed by Maxi Blanco of production company Landia, this 90-second film, and four 30-second versions, will run across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube globally.
The activity gives visibility to the tireless effort made by families seeking their missing relatives, and addresses the stereotype of inactive relatives waiting for disappeared people to return. It shows people posing with their relative’s photo, remaining in silence to leave the disappeared person within the photo to tell their own story for the first time.
María Emilia Cicoria, the audiovisual producer at International Committee of the Red Cross, said: “There is a need to give visibility to the tireless effort made by families seeking their missing relatives. We wanted to touch the hearts of the audience because, behind the typical image of the family member with the photo of their loved one, there is a search story that we can’t even imagine.”
Joaquin Espagnol, ECD at Cheil Spain, said: “Sometimes reality goes beyond fiction–this campaign is full of true testimonies. There were so many compelling tales that it was really hard at the beginning of the process to select the stories of each family.”
CreditsClient International Committee of the Red Cross Agency Cheil Spain Joaquin Espagnol, executive creative director; Nicolas Diaco, Ezequiel De Luca, creative directors; Rodrigo D. Batista, Elenita Hernandez, art directors/copywriters; Julian Diez, art director; Sergio Huerta, Carlos Montiel, Celia Martin, producers. Production Landia Maxi Blanco, director; Nicolas Cabuche, exec producer; Alberto Lopez, producer; Pablo Clemente, DP. Postproduction McNulty Sound Design Sonomedia
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