The Canadian Centre for Child Protection teamed up with advertising agency No Fixed Address to create this PSA, “The Horse,” which warns us about the dark and damaging threats that can harm children through their digital devices–particularly the ones in their very hands: the smartphone.
With it being Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the 60-second film serves as a powerful wakeup call to parents–and is a call to action for governments around the world to protect children from online predators and sexual violence by enacting legislative change.
“The Horse” was filmed in one continuous shot down a hallway, set in a home that could be yours or mine. The world was built by acclaimed Canadian director Meredith Hama-Brown who won the Fipresci Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival for her film Seagrass and overall film craftsmanship. The PSA opens with a warm and loving feel which turns as a deeply unsettling undertone takes hold–a reminder that phones have opened everyone’s door to online dangers, akin to the Trojan Horse in which predators successfully hid, infiltrated and destroyed what was once thought to be an impenetrable fortress.
“We set out to capture the scenario that keeps every parent up at night,” said Alexis Bronstorph, chief creative officer at No Fixed Address. “And ‘The Horse’ is a chilling reminder that it’s real and it’s happening.”
