Beautiful Home Centre Film Tackles the Taboo around Adoption and Fostering in the Middle East

Home Centre, a furniture and furnishings retail brand in the Middle East, believes that every home has its own unique story to tell. It has taken on topics such as Arab single moms - rarely tapped into by brands, owing to its sensitive nature in the region. 

This year, starting with content around World Adoption Day on November 8th, Home Centre chose to address and provide support to families and homes for an untapped and unspoken topic in the Middle East, via a new initiative titled, 'The Homecoming'.

As part of the initiative, a short story - created by Leo Burnett Middle East - launched this December and is being promoted on the brand’s social media platforms and in-store.

The film is an emotional visual journey that captures a couple’s apprehensiveness, their joys, their anxieties, their collective perseverance as they overcome familial, societal as well as interpersonal odds to get to the goal of adopting a child. It’s written based on in-depth interviews with couples who have wanted to adopt or have adopted, and their journey over the six to nine months it takes to adopt.

In the Middle East, adoption and fostering as a topic and a concept isn't just frowned upon, it is actively denounced and legally it is challenging. This makes it challenging for men too as the patriarchal concept of a man’s ‘manhood’ in the culture of the region comes into question as does the relationship between the couples considering not to bear their own child.

But there is a need for it, with orphaned children owing to war and the refugee crises, as well abandoned children, present across the region.

The film aims to break those taboos and misperceptions and it has launched a region-wise initiative to help those parents who can't have children as well as those parents who have children but want to adopt and foster, feel inspired as well as enabled to adopt and foster.  

The soundtrack that carries this film is a licensed adaption of Elvis Presley's 'Can't Help Falling in Love' - and the story of the film gives an entirely new meaning to Elvis' iconic song.

A digital platform shares knowledge and content around the topic of adoption or fostering from a well-known psychologist and a well-reputed legal advisory firm. 

The platform also provides links to organisations one can contact to learn more about adoption or fostering across the region. 

Famous influencers who have adopted as well as TV shows are supporting the initiative. Additionally, a unique art exhibition will also be telling stories of children who are without a family or a home.

To know more about the initiative, click here.