Film Craft > Production

SHOUT

VMLY&R MEXICO, Mexico City / TELEFÓNICA / 2023

Awards:

Silver Cannes Lions
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Film
Demo Film
Supporting Content
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Overview

Credits

OVERVIEW

Write a short summary of what happens in the film.

Javier is a famous boxer in his neighborhood, always going side by side with his older brother. His father, a famous ex-boxer, puts his hopes in his son. Javier arrives at a nightclub accompanied by his best friend "Ana" and out of nowhere a guy approaches him. At first Javier rejects him, but finally relents. A fan observes him and while Javier passionately kisses the guy, he takes a picture of him. The photo goes viral, everyone including his dad and brother find out that he is gay. His world falls apart. Everybody rejects him. The day of the fight Javier feels defeated. But his dad and brother, at the last moment, go to support him. Javier wins the fight. The broken screen of his cell phone shows the prism that forms when the glass is broken, revealing the flag of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Background:

According to Amnesty International, Mexico is the second most violent country for the LGBTQIA+ community in Latin America. And Movistar, a Telecom company committed to the LGBTQIA+ community for more than 10 years, has been concerned with generating campaigns that invite reflection and connection between people and rejecting any act of physical or verbal violence against any social group. A topic that is part of its communication key roles as a digital service provider.

Brief:

Launch a online film with a powerful message to fight against homophobia suffered by thousands of people in Mexico, which highlights the problem that exists in social media, through a Hero Online Film that captures the attention of the audience.

Objetive:

Connect with our audience and invite them to reject homophobia and draw the attention of society, as well as sports entities and specialized media (both news and sports) so that the topic is disseminated.

Tell the jury anything relevant about the direction. Do not name the director.

The director wanted to portray in a realistic and raw way how hard it is for a homosexual boxer to face homophobia, in a country with a macho culture like Mexico. In order to get this he sought that the protagonists weren't actors, but real people, in this case boxers. This factor gave him a significant challenge to direct them, exploit their skills in the sport, but also their emotions. For an even greater cinematographic richness, it was filmed in 16mm in just 2 days, so a specific edition was planned before shooting to reach more precise and powerful shots. The song "Shout" from Tears for Fears, in its adaptation for the film, had the objective of being one more character that evolved at the same time as the leading role, to build a powerful narrative. Turning a protest anthem into a more intimate and human one.

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

In Mexico, talking about homosexuals, lesbians or the LGBTQIA+ community in sports like boxing is a taboo that can generate a lot of hatred, rejection and even violence. Boxers are a symbol of masculinity and it is unthinkable that an athlete in such an important sport that has given Mexico so many world titles could be homosexual. A very specific reality of Mexico.

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