In a time of historic global divisiveness, we wanted to remind the world that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. Photography has the power to make all cultures, creeds and lifestyles visible. As an extension of the Shot on iPhone campaign, “The Human Family” celebrates the unity of cultures and countries across the world as seen through the lens of iPhone users. Each of the self-portraits and portraits featured in “The Human Family” film were captured by everyday people, all over the world, on their iPhones. The images and videos are anchored by poet laureate Maya Angelou’s powerful, inclusive message of unity. The film debuted during the 2016 Olympics Opening Ceremonies, to celebrate togetherness and remind a divided world that, despite our superficial differences, we remain one human family.

The cast for The Human Family came together through a careful curation of user iPhone portraits and self-portraits, combing through iPhone users’ social accounts on platforms like Instagram and Flickr. The range of humanity had to reflect and illustrate Maya Angelou’s powerful words through contrasting cultures and creeds from around the world.