Poignant Film from UNICEF Illustrates the Power of Kind Gestures

Rattling Stick’s Pete Riski has directed a powerful new film for UNICEF, through Directors Guild Helsinki and SEK.

The campaign marks the first time that Unicef has featured a narrative TVC in Finland, having traditionally used documentaries and archive footage to highlight their work and raise much-needed funds.

The emotive, cinematic film looks at how one kind gesture can impact the future and how the gifts of tomorrow are given today.

In the film, we follow a small boy, caught up in the trauma of war. Opening on a happy young family, enjoying Christmas Day in a warmly lit home, the boy’s face lights up when he opens a new teddy bear. When bombing commences, the family are forced to flee, leaving behind his new gift and the safety of their home.

We see the destruction of his town, as he commences the long, arduous journey to safety, bombs continuing to go off around him. Having arrived, he sits alone in a tent before a Unicef representative gives him a new bear, bringing a much-needed bit of light to the darkness. Now grown, our protagonist is a UNICEF Doctor, giving the same gift to a child in need.

Executive producer, Ville Varesvuo comments, ‘The film is loosely based on the true story of a real UNICEF employee, who was given help by the charity when he was a boy. In his later years, he joined UNICEF in order to provide the same help to other children, who were experiencing the same kinds of difficulties.

The film was shot over two days in Helsinki, with the help of generosity from the cast, crew and service providers, in order to get the film made.

Ville adds, ‘This is such an important film, that not only highlights the traumatic impact of war but that also demonstrates the importance of donations and gifts and the difference they can make. It was an honour to work with Unicef to bring the project to life.’

Director, Pete Riski concludes, ‘With everything going on in the world today, it’s important to remind ourselves that all this could happen to every one of us. For a person who has lost everything, even the smallest gift or donation can change the course of their whole life.

This is a story with a very delicate subject and it was very important to keep it tonally very real, but at the same time, it was essential to remind us that there is always hope.