The film features striking images of real frontline healthcare workers, with faces that are bruised and scarred from protective masks. The film is a tribute to honour the men and women fighting to save our lives during the pandemic. Beyond the physical imprints left by their masks, their enduring faces also bore the marks of exhaustion and the emotional toll of long hospital shifts. But despite the severity of these powerful images, their faces evoked beauty to us, as their courage was something truly beautiful. The film also announces Dove’s commitment to providing frontline workers around the world with $7.5 million in financial assistance.
Cultural / Context information for the jury
Our film had no actors or casting agents we could simply call up. Social media and the real world became our casting agency. But the biggest challenge by far, was that the people we needed to cast, were real frontline healthcare workers in the midst of fighting a global pandemic and saving lives. Our cast consisted of real doctors and nurses from different nationalities, with visible marks on their faces left by deep impressions of their protective gear. And so over a frantic 72 hours, we reached out to dozens of real frontline workers from all over the world, across multiple social media platforms, eventually gaining their permission to use their selfies. In just 7 days, we produced, edited and distributed the film in 15 different countries, going live across several major TV networks. A brave undertaking, but nothing compared to the bravery of these healthcare heroes.