TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG

An animation about what can be done to help prevent parent to child transmission of HIV, made over a period of a few weeks in Sierra Leone, based on the stories of people in the community of Bo, for Christian Aid.

Along with the community group, we wanted to convey the deep emotions impact that transmission of HIV can have, and to this end decided to created detailed pencil drawings of our main characters.

The subtleties this afforded, in the glinting, fearsome eyes of an angry father or the sad stare of a rejected mother, and the subtle watercolour backdrops which seem to settle and displace the characters all at once, helped make this a very affecting piece.

Against the darkness of those who oppress her, the vibrant, graphic colours of the mother’s clothes speak of her defiant humanity, and sure enough the animation ends on a resoundingly positive note, the main message being that information is the power to transform your life.

Music was created specially for the animation by the indescribably talented Nick Parton.