DON'T BE PERFECT, BE PRESENT

TitleDON'T BE PERFECT, BE PRESENT
BrandSUN LOLLY
Product/ServiceSUN LOLLY
Category G05. Cultural Insight
Entrant TWENTY Copenhagen, DENMARK
Idea Creation TWENTY Copenhagen, DENMARK
Production BLONDE MEDIA APS Copenhagen, DENMARK
Credits
Name Company Position
Thomas Bjerg Twenty Client Manager
Sebastian Bonde Twenty Coordinator
Lea Brisell Twenty Art Director
Anna Bukh Jakobsen Anna Olivia Music Artist
Anders Bundgaard Blonde Inc Director
Farah Dib Twenty Creative Director
Farah Dib Twenty Copywriter
Mariam Latif Cameo Colorgrading
Tiyam Pour Khabbaz Blonde Inc Editor
August Rein Twenty Producer
Annette Riis Carstensen Blonde Inc Set Designer
Amanda Rosenkrantz Blonde Inc Producer
Andreas Seebach Andreas Seebach Song writer

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

The film tells the heartwarming story of a father who does everything he can to make his daughter smile, regardless of how it makes him look to the rest of the world. We follow him through failed birthday cake attempts, TikTok dances, attic teddy tea parties and unicorn outfits in the street – his focus always on the only stamp of approval that matters – that of his kid. As she grows up, we're forced to examine the age-old fear of rejection every parent dreads, and come full circle at the end where our dad, now grandfather, sees his grown daughter adopt the very same silly moves he once did for her. The film is accompanied by a track, written and produced specifically for the film – Fool For You – a love song to parenthood, encapsulating the bitter sweet emotions that define us from the moment we become parents.

Please tell us about the cultural insight that inspired the work

Six out of ten parents feel under pressure to be 'perfect', and the pressure in one of Scandinavia's seemingly most egalitarian countries is mounting. Because as admirable as the Scandinavian lifestyle is on social media, it contributes to a skewed image of what parenthood actually looks like. If you believed the social feeds, a perfect parent lives in a furniture showroom and bakes sourdough cupcakes before work. Reality rarely makes it onto Instagram. And as a result perforative parenthood becomes a big source of stress for parents, who report feeling both inadequate and stressed. The elaborate sourdough cupcakes and perfectly decorated birthday cakes at the after school meetings taste of inequality, and it's in that context, we seek to portray a different side to parenthood. One that doesn't edit, filter or glamourise the thankless work, dedication and bitter sweet emotions that come with it.