Domestic violence has been increasing alarmingly throughout the world as the pandemic and its lockdowns cause stresses and strains. Isolation, limited contact with family and friends, working from home with the kids around due to schools being closed, have “imprisoned” women (as well as men and children) with their attackers. Breaking away from such toxic relationships is difficult for a wide range of reasons, not least of which are the manipulative practices of abusers.
ANAIS, a humanitarian association whose main mission is to defend the rights of those who cannot defend themselves, has created a campaign with Cheil | Centrade to educate women about being in a poisonous relationship and asking for help. They are doing so with puppets.
In the Guilt Gifts Puppetry, Cheil | Centrade uses toys belonging to real victims in an experimental puppet theatre. Its eight short plays replicate true cases of women affected by domestic violence. The stories reveal the damaging ramifications of “guilt gifting” and how through it, aggressors manage to deepen the victims’ traumatic experience. The episodes are available on http://guiltgiftpuppetry.com where the public is invited to contribute with a donation to watch them. The funds will finance ANAIS projects supporting the victims. Cheil | Centrade completed gthe project pro bono.
Carmen Nemeș, ANAIS president, noted, “The month of March is all about gifts, and we would like for these gifts to have the same positive meaning for all women. We would like women coming to us for help to understand that they deserve only gifts given out of love and respect. To know that they are not alone, that they are offered protection and that in fact, the most precious gift is to free themselves from a destructive relationship. Violence can never be justified, and their silence should not be bought with a gift.”
“This project was a get together of extraordinary partners, screenwriters, directors, puppeteers, famous actors, choreographers, dancers, scenographers who put their heart and soul into it, which is why I take this opportunity to thank them yet again for their involvement. The times are such that those working in theatres have been seriously affected and so has been the theatre-loving public deprived of the art they adore; therefore, we hope that this experimental content project will be a breath of fresh air, especially since everything is for a cause ever so noble – helping the silent victims of violence,” noted Roxana Niță, group creative director Cheil | Centrade.
The partnership between Cheil | Centrade and ANAIS began three years ago with the Unquiet Voices project. Its campaign film was shortlisted at the Cannes Film Festival (2019) and won a number of awards at local and international communication festivals including D&AD and the London International Awards. #IsolateViolence was the second campaign developed together, launched during the Covid outbreak and social distancing, where, the platform www.izoleazaviolenta.ro offered useful information and advice from the professional collaborators of the association.
Client: Cheil | Centrade
Executive Creative Director: Mihai Gongu
Group Creative Director: Roxana Niță
CopywriterS: Alexandru Iliescu & Ionuț Iordache
Art Director: Ana-Ramona Tanasă
Client Service Director: Carmen Miruță
Account Director: Maria Trepcea
Senior Account Manager: Ana Maria Rădulescu
AV Director: Monica Garbur
Social Media Manager: Veronica Bratu
PR Specialists: Melania Răduțoiu & Ana Maria Gavrilă
Digital Project ManagerS: Cosmin Slăbescu & Mihai Tatu
Developers: Alexandru Cancel & Francisc Lorinczi
Performance: Lightwave Theatre Company
Actor Puppeteer & Audio Editing: Petru Stratulat
Puppeteer Coordinator: Cristina-Andreea Ion
Actor Puppeteer: Oana Mihaela Cercel
Screenwriting, Animation, Post-production & Co-artistic directing: Les Ateliers Nomad
Creative Director: Alex Petroșanu
3D Animator & Compositing: Cezar Șomîtcă
2D Animator, Editor & Compositing: Horia Teodor
Editor & Shooting Coordinator: Radu Nechit
2D Animator & Illustrator: Ana Cohut
2D Animator: Robert Erdös
Team Coordinator: Matei Derșidan
DOP & photography: Adi Bulboacă
Choreography: Mike’s School of Dance
Dancers: Răzvan Rotaru & Corina Platon
Post-production: Chainsaw Europe
Master & Sound Editing: Hasan Nasser & Andrei Vasilache
Video Editing: Mircea Lacatus/ Smaranda Dacian
Post-production coordinators: Oana Manea & Raluca Iutes
Music: Sonic Arts Music
Client: ANAIS Association
President: Carmen Nemeș
Executive Director: Mihaela Mangu
Psychotherapist: Adela Szenteș
