The Film Shoot 

Filmed entirely on location in two Burmese refugee camps located in Thailand and a nearby village on the Thai-Burmese border in October 2017, the campaign was shot by Director Olivier Staub. The photography for the campaign’s print and posters was shot by Olivier Staub as well.

Interview with Director Olivier Staub

Olivier Staub is the director, cinematographer and photographer of the Lifeline campaign.

 

What inspired you to take on this project?

When I first saw the creative proposal, I fell for it right away. The visual metaphor of the lifeline was so poetic and clever, it touched me instantly. Though I love the advertising business, too often it has little social value – so when I saw this opportunity to do something that might make a difference, I jumped in. Throughout my career, I have travelled extensively and seen a lot of people in need around the world; this project can definitely be part of the solution.

What do you hope to convey with this film? 

I hope that this film has the emotional power to transmit what people really go through when they are in the situations that we show in our film. Trauma can take on so many faces, and it is very easy to forget about it all when it happens thousands of miles away. The incredible thing with this concept is that portraying such drama with doodles in the hands of real people opens a channel straight to the viewer’s emotions, with great authenticity and simplicity.

What was it like for you to create the campaign in and around the refugee camps?  

I think part of the authenticity of this film lies in the fact that we dove into real life and embraced it. We didn’t replicate. Although their living conditions are very fragile, I discovered a completely new world. I saw hope, smiles and love. 

Do you have an anecdote about the production you would like to share?

My biggest revelation was meeting a little boy named Siti Pong, the boy in the finale of the film. This little boy has lost a leg and three fingers and still has an impressive appetite for life, as well as a contagious smile. Seeing him play soccer with the other kids was, for me, the proof that hope never dies.