Danish filmmakers Mathias Hovgaard of Station Film and Christophe Dolcerocca of Missing Link Film (UK) have teamed up to direct Heartbreak 101, a short film which captures the feeling of being madly in love and having your teen heart brutally broken by first love gone bad. With innovative and experimental nods to French New Wave Cinema, the film is an unsentimental mashup of the private lives of the teenagers it portrays, in a one-liner odyssey of emotional turmoil as they try to figure out love. It speaks to young lovers with a tender yet chaotic collage of human (in)experience, yet leaves no promise of unbroken hearts.
Friends and filmmakers Hovgaard and Dolcerocca in a joint statement shared, “We took an experiential approach to bridge interview documentary with contemporary fashion and lifestyle aesthetics–as well as an attempt to feel 17 again.”
Credits
Client Schön! magazine Production Station Film Mathias Hovgaard, Christophe Dolcerocca, directors; Rasmus Heise, DP; Mettelise Hansen, Heidi Baltzer, Gabriela Votta, producers; Steffanie Mery, styling & makeup; Elke Numeyer-Windshuttle, snapshots. Editorial Christophe Dolcerocca, editor. Post Mariam Latif, colorist. Sound Lydbror Johan Høyer, sound. Music Morten Thorhauge
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The film’s protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a child’s life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
