Who: Government of Quebec and lg2, with Romeo & Fils for production and Apollo for sound.
What: A new ad from the Government of Quebec that takes on transphobia as part of a larger campaign against violence of all kinds.
When & Where: The ad was just published this week and will be pushed out through social channels.
Why: The goal isn’t just to raise awareness about transphobia, but to generate acceptance and give Quebecers a better understanding of what life is like for transgendered people and their families. “Parents are extremely important in the process when a person decides he or she is changing their whole life, name, etc,” said Luc Du Sault, lg2 creative director.
How: The two-minute film tells the story of a mother and father who give their daughter Mila all new childhood birthday cards for a girl to replace the ones she was given as a little boy. “We thought if we could change the cards and make new ones from birth it would be the ultimate statement of acceptance—that Mila, in this case, has always been a girl,” said Du Sault.
Biggest challenge making the ad? “Definitely it was finding a family willing to do it,” said Du Sault. “It’s a delicate and personal matter, but luckily [production company] Romeo and Philippe Grenier [the director] met a wonderful mother and father who understood it could be a powerful idea not only for their own daughter but for the community as well.”
Quote: “I think she deserves the recognition that since the day she was born, she’s always been a girl, that she wasn’t a boy.”—Mila’s father.