See Yourself in Others

A highly intelligent piece of advertising has been released by the Tribeca Film Festival this morning. The festival, which aims to bring independent films to the widest possible audience, was founded by Robert De Niro back in 2002 and has grown exponentially ever since into a veritable hub of independent cinema. And now, in the current climate of racial tension and political strain that exists around the world, they have released a telling and profound spot encouraging everyone to step into another’s shoes and See Yourself in Others.

How? With simple, mirrored cubes. Sounds slightly bizarre so I will elaborate. In the 90-second clip we are privy to a society in which a number of people wander around the city as normal but with mirrored boxes on their heads so their faces are entirely hidden. What this means is that every time someone looks at one of these mirrored beings, they see themselves, each interaction causes people to literally see themselves in others. In one particularly striking scene, a policeman sees himself in the face of a young, black man, looking carefully and inquisitively into his own face, before walking away, bringing all of the recent issues surrounding Black Lives Matter to the forefront of the viewers' mind.

It is subtle, beautifully filmed and highlights the message and ethos of the Festival perfectly: once you put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you can obtain a clearer, more logical understanding as to where they come from and who they are even if it is drastically different from anything you may know. More generally, it encourages people to watch films with an open mind and never to judge a book by its cover. Without going too far (as Pepsi so disastrously did when approaching politics), this spot subtly inspires (without forcing or pressurising) the audience to alter and ignore any preconceptions that may exist in their own minds.

A lovely, clever idea from DDB New York in their debut for the Festival, check it out here.