My SPW NewsPage View

Go ahead. Stare. Get a good look.

David Johnston and Justin Tolley team up to co-direct a PSA for Breast Cancer Awareness in an effort to motivate women and men to examine themselves. “Stare” asks us to reflect upon our bodies, by presenting a ghostly vision of a woman uncovered. It’s what’s underneath the skin, what we don’t usually see, that matters. The awareness raised in “Stare” is a powerful and vital message of self-examination.

“The inspiration behind “Stare” came from “repurposing the idea of looking,” Co-Director Justin Tolley reflects. “Anyone can be affected by breast cancer, regardless of whether you’ve been diagnosed before. You might know someone in your lifetime- a family member, a co-worker, an acquaintance- or it could be you.” Tolley states “There’s a responsibility that should come with looking.”

We begin by seeing names and ages of survivors and non-survivors. As the camera shifts around the body, types of breast cancers surface like tattoos, and then symptoms as if it were all hiding underneath. “Some people emotionally shut down during spots like this,” states Director David Johnston. “However the rawness of this spot grabs your attention in such a way that connects you to the individual, and to yourself. Making that connection is imperative because it places the responsibility of looking, at ourselves and the people in our lives, for the benefit of their health.”

“Stare” hits extremely close to home for jumP’s Executive Producer Alexandra Leal. “Its very personal” she states. “At age 40 my sister, without any prior family history, was diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer. She leads a very health conscious life, which proves that the disease does not discriminate in terms of age, lifestyle or family history. It is an enemy that we can combat by educating men and women alike on the importance of checking yourself, as well as yearly mammograms.”

Leal concludes by saying, “I think women, whether they have been affected by the disease or not, and the advertising industry in particular, will appreciate the rawness of the visuals. They are a form of ‘the objectification of women.’ But unlike what is commonly portrayed in mainstream media (advertising, pin-ups, Hollywood movies, magazines, etc) its ‘objectification’ serves a purpose.”