Mariana Youssef of Fulano Filmes directed this long-form spot for client Tok&Stok and agency DDB Brasil which takes us back in time to the 1700s in a small village nestled in the wilderness. Young men get ready to go on an “initiation trip” into the woods to become grown men. They carry with them tools passed down from their grandfathers and fathers. The lads’ parents, friends and significant others wait with great anticipation.
Alone in the wild, each young man copes with his lot in life, seeming scared and careful as they walk into the dark of night. Daylight comes and they return to the village as heroes, as men bringing something with them: their own hand-made furniture.
Their triumphant coming home is accompanied by supers (translated into English) which read, “Let’s Be Men” followed by “Let’s Build Our Own Furniture.” Then the logo appears for Tok&Stok, which sells easy-to-assemble furniture.
The piece was shot in Prague and the Czech Republic by DP Jan Velicky. It had more than 50 extras, three wardrobe changes for each character, manufacturing of the furniture from the time period, cast rehearsals and special equipment. More than 120 professionals from the movie industry worked on the film to recreate this local villa from centuries ago.
Review: Director Ben Taylor’s “Joy”
Toward the end of Netflix's "Joy," the muffled cry of a newborn baby prompts a man and woman in a hospital to embrace out of pure bliss. They aren't the parents, but they had as much to do with the birth as the mom and dad.
This charming and winning movie charts the decade-long true story of how the world's first IVF baby was born in England in 1978 — a 5-pound, 12-ounce girl who paved the way for millions more. It's an upbeat, very English affair, mixing sober discussion of endometriosis with chocolate biscuits.
The couple embracing that day were pioneering scientist Robert Edwards and Jean Purdy, a young nurse and embryologist. Together with surgeon Patrick Steptoe, the trio succeeded with in vitro fertilization, a method of treating infertility. Edwards would go on to win the Nobel Prize.
"Joy" has been birthed at a time when science is under threat in America — even IVF — so it's downright inspiring to see plucky, smart scientists working hard to change the world. "What we're doing, it matters," says Steptoe, played with quiet economy by Bill Nighy.
"Joy" is the personal stories of the three scientists — mostly through the eyes of Purdy, a polite lab-coated warrior. "If I hear a commotion, I'm not very good at staying out of it," she says. Perfectly played by Thomasin McKenzie, Purdy is both vulnerable and strong, learning through the process to be a better human. James Norton plays Edwards with charm, self-doubt and calm spirit.
Jack Thorne's script nicely explains the massive pressure the trio faced. IVF may have become common and uncontroversial over the last decades, but back in the late '70s it was experimental and shunned. The Anglican church called it a sin, the newspapers labeled it Frankenstein-ish and other... Read More