A Big Issue
July 29, 2010 · 2 Comments
This TV (web?) spot was shot for Cape Town, South Africa-based magazine “The Big Issue.” You may have spotted the magazine on a visit there being sold by homeless (or destitute) people on the streets of that city; especially at traffic lights in the city center and on main roads in its mostly white middle class suburbs.
Here’s the description for the spot from the film directors at Butterfly Films:
A simple portrait of two women living and working in Cape Town. One lives in a squatter camp. The other next door to me in the city centre. Despite living in the same city, their worlds are far apart. Through the work of the Big Issue, their paths cross and, momentarily, a bridge is built, a connection is made. Build more bridges. Support the Big Issue. The Change is in your pocket.
We passed the video around the AIAC “office.”
Generally we loved it. The visuals are striking, the acting is great, the contrast between the lives of rich and poor in Cape Town–probably still the most segregrated big city in South Africa–is captured well. The filmmakers were right not to use any dialogue; the pictures are enough tell the story. And the soundtrack is not too overbearing. (The fact that that’s the the beautiful voice of Neo Muyanga, one of our favorite composers and singers, two-thirds through on the soundtrack, is even better).
But we haveissues. Sometimes we do. With the politics of the ad for example. What does this mean: “… [T]heir paths cross and, momentarily, a bridge is built, a connection is made. Build more bridges.” Just as long as you buy a magazine, this whole mess–this structural, racialized mess that is Cape Town–would be less hard to take? We know it’s an ad, but c’mon.
One response to the video was blunt: ”… [T]he juxtaposition of the “divided” yet intersecting lives is a bit too neat. [And] is it true that pocket change can really change structures? At least they’re not asking people to buy expensive red [stuff] like that AIDS charity does.”
While another could not help notice the power of pretty visuals: “… the film’s so well-done and aesthetically pleasing that I [forgot for a minute about the "neat" juxtaposition]. That’s the power of cinematography, beautiful music and a lovely storyline–they don’t provoke questions. “
Of course we like the magazine.
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