Levi’s “Circles” celebrates our shared humanity by showing the similarities between vastly diverse groups from all over the world. The film seamlessly moves from group to group, country to country, and culture to culture as we see people coming together forming a circle as they dance. Taking turns, one person rocks their individuality in the center of the circle while the group’s energy lifts them up. We travel from the American Heartland to a street corner in Johannesburg, passing through a New Orleans Juke joint, a Hassidic Bar Mitzvah, a Russian punk club, a Jamaican dancehall, a Palestinian wedding, an Indian Bhangra club and a Mexican Rockabilly party. As the story builds we see more and more how the Circular theme is a global phenomenon. The film seeks to inspire by concluding with the line: “Men, Women, Young, Old, Rich, Poor, Gay, Straight, Lets Live How We Dance”.

The groups were twelve carefully researched authentic dance-subcultures from a Palestinian wedding, an Israeli Bar Mitzvah, all the way to Mexican rockabillies. We cast real people from these subcultures, flying people across the globe. Our stylists carefully researched authentic garb, and we turned to local cultural experts to ensure every detail was authentic.

The filming process was a commitment to realizing the tenants and spirit of the campaign. The director did enormous amounts of research into each subculture, making sure to consult with the groups featured. He empowered the cast to deliver real, joyful performances, informed by identity and dance. This was the priority of the job, and meant making choices that were 100% authentic with the visuals, spending time with the cast to direct scenes with this knowledge, and to connect with the cultures. He took this responsibility very seriously, making the dynamic with the cast very special.