Title	B.E.N (BIONICALLY ENGINEERED NURSING)
Brand	SOCIÉTÉ SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL
Product/Service	SOCIÉTÉ SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL
Category	A02. Script
Entrant	LA PAC Paris, FRANCE
Idea Creation	CLM BBDO Boulogne-Billancourt, FRANCE
Production	LA PAC Paris, FRANCE

Name	Company	Position
David Wilson	La Pac,	Director
Matthieu Elkaim	CLM BBDO	Creative director
Charles Dessau	CLM BBDO	Art Director
Emile Martin	CLM BBDO	Copywriter

Brief Explanation

While some countries are introducing the first companion robots to assist lonely people, the Society of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul raises the question of technology’s legitimacy in a fundamentally human issue such as loneliness. The film introduces us to Claudine, an elderly lady who shares her daily life with B.E.N., a companion robot. At first we’re surprised to see how easily B.E.N. carries out his tasks. Claudine must certainly feel less alone since she acquired the robot. But B.E.N.’s imprecise, mechanical behaviour gradually betrays his social limits. The surprising complicity we thought we saw gives way to the absurdity of this man-machine relationship, leaving the spectator pondering the legitimacy of technology in the fight against social isolation. The film ends with the following message: Today, companion robots are being introduced to assist lonely people. At the Society of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, we think that only human beings can help in fighting loneliness. We recruit volunteers.