Film > Culture & Context

THE RIGHT TO POWER: 47 SECONDS

SAATCHI & SAATCHI ME, Dubai / LOGI ENERGY / 2023

Awards:

Shortlisted Cannes Lions
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Film
Case Film
Supporting Content

Overview

Credits

Overview

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

47 seconds of helplessness, pain, uncertainty, despair and debilitation.

A father's plight felt over 47 seconds, encapsulating these emotions, symbolizes the Lebanese people's reality of living through a debilitating electricity crisis for 47 years that has crippled the healthcare system.

The daughter - heard breathing faintly - is a symbol for Lebanon. Her condition deteriorates exponentially, with every electricity cut.

The father - a symbol for Lebanese people - screams and pleads for help, with every electricity cut, but no one responds. No one’s coming to Lebanon’s aid in the electricity crisis.

The environment's design transports viewers to a typical hospital in the most afflicted parts of Lebanon.

The lights and the colours add to the bleakness.

The camera movement is slow and tedious; almost haunting.

The film is shot in one straight take.

Amidst a despair-ridden soundscape comprising an original soundtrack, the father's cries escalate the situation's absolute hopelessness.

Background:

Lebanon's healthcare sector has suffered with 47 years of electricity cuts, culminating in a breaking point in 2022's healthcare crisis.

With its crippling energy crisis escalating in 2022, hospitals and essential health services were put under immense pressure, debilitated by lack of electricity.

With 22 hours of power cuts every day, patients, including children, were dying and suffering in Lebanese hospitals whose life-support machines and emergency treatment systems cannot rely on intermittent and sporadic power.

LOGI Energy wanted to challenge the Government to bring in reforms and transparency regarding electricity restoration plans.

We had to turn eyes and drive action for a petition demanding a change in the electricity reform plans.

But with lack of support from the Government and media, we appealed to global media and audiences instead, showing them what Lebanese have felt for 47 years through the agony of a father losing his daughter, over 47 seconds.

Describe the Impact:

Lacking support from the corrupt Government, and from Lebanese media financially affiliated with the corrupt Government - who refused to air the film – we sought support outside, persuading media and public globally to help put the pressure for reforms.

LOGI Energy has effectively triggered its ripples in Lebanon's healthcare crisis owing to the electricity and energy crisis.

Impact:

The idea featured across 36 TV and news channels abroad.

It generated $2.7 million earned media value.

Reached 60+ countries attracting support.

Worldwide endorsements supported LOGI's petition to draw reforms, reaching 100,000 signatories - over 83% being from outside Lebanon - showing the impact we created on global audiences.

The electricity reform plan was updated and instituted, and mandated to be opened up to Lebanese people and organizations for transparency and support identification. It brought immediate relief to Lebanon’s healthcare sector first with +25% electricity output reserved for it, every day.

Please tell us how the brand purpose inspired the work

LOGI Energy seeks to help bring in some reforms and transparency regarding electricity plans. It insists that all those in positions of responsibility immediately put aside a;; their disputes and work together to prevent an imminent disaster of the collapse of the healthcare sector owing to the lack of electricity - a disaster no one deserves - least of all the Lebanese and other inhabitants of Lebanon. Their unwarranted suffering does not deserve to be crowned with a needless, pointless, irreversible tragedy,

LOGI Energy believes, "everyone deserved the right to electricity", especially Lebanese hospitals and patients in those hospitals.

This became the inspiration behind the initiative's title, "The Right to Power".

We had to make people go through the 47 years of not having this right.

Only when they went through it would they feel what Lebanese felt.

And only then would we have the chance to get some support.

Is there any cultural context that would help the jury understand how this work was perceived by people in the country where it ran?

Lebanon's healthcare sector was suffering from the electricity crisis.

Grappling with a crippling energy crisis was putting hospitals and essential services under immense pressure.

An outdated energy infrastructure and an over-reliance on private operators and fuel imports has impacted the people of Lebanon for the past 47 years with power cuts a daily reality.

Hospitals, with life-supporting and sustaining machines, cannot rely on intermittent power.

Patients lives have been at risk.

Dr. Anwar Shayya, an Oncologist, says, "People are literally dying everyday in hospitals in Lebanon, from avoidable matters."

Lebanese hospitals and patients deserved the right to power.

The right to power was their fundamental human right.

But that right was taken away from them because of the 47-year-long electricity and energy crisis.

This daylight robbery had crippled them.

This right to electricity being taken away from the Lebanese, became the inspiration behind the initiative's title, "The Right to Power".

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