A child rolls a tire through the countryside and then trips a landmine. A family is threatened by gun-wielding youngsters. People at an outdoor market in a village disperse when a grenade is thrown.
These three violent scenarios, though, are rendered harmless and yield positive results. The explosion from the landmine sprays colorful papers and picture for as far as the eye can see. The lead youngster’s gun jams when he pulls the trigger. What’s wrong with his weapon? Turns out that instead of bullets, the firearm is loaded with crayons. And the grenade releases bubbles and results in lots of smiles throughout the village.
A message appears on screen which reads, “Where childhood thrives, war does not.”
This approximately minute-long video introduces us to War Child which gives children in war-torn areas access to the education, support and resources they need to reclaim their childhood and break the cycle of poverty and violence.
“Our programs address a wide range of issues in a number of different countries,” explained War Child COO Lorna Read. “But everything we do stems from the belief that protecting childhood itself is the key to helping these communities move towards sustainable peace.”
Toronto agency john st. created the video, which was directed by Henry Lu via bicoastal Moxie Pictures and Toronto-based Soft Citizen.
Directing and Editing “Conclave”; Insights From Edward Berger and Nick Emerson
It’s been a bruising election year but this time we’re referring to a ballot box struggle that’s more adult than the one you’d typically first think of in 2024. Rather, on the industry awards front, the election being cited is that of the Pope which takes front and center stage in director Edward Berger’s Conclave (Focus Features), based on the 2016 novel of the same title by Robert Harris. Adapted by screenwriter Peter Straugham, Conclave stars Ralph Fiennes as the cardinal leading the conclave that has convened to select the next Pope. While part political thriller, full of backstabbing and behind-closed-door machinations, Conclave also registers as a thoughtful adult drama dealing with themes such as a crisis of faith, weighing the greater good, and engaging in a struggle that’s as much about spirituality as the attainment of power.
Conclave is Berger’s first feature after his heralded All Quiet on the Western Front, winner of four Oscars in 2023, including for Best International Feature Film. And while Conclave would on the surface seem to be quite a departure from that World War I drama, there’s a shared bond of humanity which courses through both films.
For Berger, the heightened awareness of humanity hit home for him by virtue of where he was--in Rome, primarily at the famed Cinecittà studio--to shoot Conclave, sans any involvement from the Vatican. He recalled waking up in Rome to “soak up” the city. While having his morning espresso, Berger recollected looking out a window and seeing a priest walking about with a cigarette in his mouth, a nun having a cup of coffee, an archbishop carrying a briefcase. It dawned on Berger that these were just people going to... Read More