The trilogy, Unfairy Tales, is not what it seems. The animated stories by 180 Los Angeles, appear to be classic child-friendly tales. But as they unfold, each tells a story of horror. Each is a true story, about a Syrian child refugee and why he/she fled the country. The real child is shown at the end of the story.
The three short films kick off UNICEF’s #actofhumanity, the global initiative that aims to help develop positive perceptions towards the tens of millions of children and young people seeking safety in new environments globally. The juxtaposition of classic fairy-tale genre and real life children goes a long way to preventing people’s ability to dissociate the humanity of people trying to survive war from “the refugee problem”.
“These films highlight the human story and experiences of the young refugees and migrants, they aren’t anonymous stories you can’t put a face to,” noted Eduardo Marques, executive creative director, 180LA. “This is Malak. This is Ivine. This is Mustafa. By showing the children’s stories one-by-one we ultimately build a sense of solidarity amongst refugee and migrant communities as well as the global community at large.”
Malak and the Boat, released one month ahead of its stablemates, tells how 7-year-old Malak made a frightening journey on the seas, only to become the sole survivor at the end of the trip.
Ivine and Pillow is the story of a 14-year-old girl who survives bombings in her hometown and then settles into a German refugee camp, where her struggles continue causing her to cry in her sleep.
In Mustafa Goes for a Walk, a young boy must make a long, painful journey to a safer home. In the process, he has to say farewell to those things that bring him comfort – his friends and his toys.
“None of these stories end,” commented 180LA executive creative director, Rafael Rizuto. “Even after surviving gruesome escapes the children now face the challenges of living in foreign communities that may harbour hostile sentiments towards them. By leaving the films open-ended we’re implying there is action you can still take. You can show a child an act of humanity.”
The short films mark the debut of UNICEF’s #actofhumanity global initiative, designed to promote positive perception of the tens of millions of refugee children around the world.
The films were produced at animations shops, Consulado, House of Colors, Bubba’s Chop Shop and Gilles+Cecilie Studio. They are also to be featured in an interactive e-book, created with Media Monks.
Agency credits:
Ad Agency: 180LA
Chief creative officers: William Gelner & Michael Allen
Chief marketing officer: Stephen Larkin,
Executive Creative Officers: Rafael Rizuto & Eduardo Marques
Creative directors: Dave Cuccinello & David Povill, Creative Director
