The Ad Council: advert-body-2

The Ad Council, R/GA, and an unprecedented group of brand partners today (Nov. 13) premiered Rising, a short film that shows how people band together to help each other in times of natural disasters.

The film was directed by Game of Thrones’ David Nutter and written by Lena Waithe, creator of Showtime drama series The Chi and Emmy-winning writer for Master of None and Azia Squire. It features the immediate aftermath of a massive storm and challenges viewers to consider why it takes a disaster to bring us together.

The fictional film borrows from real-life events and pays tribute to those moments when people from different backgrounds have come together following natural disasters. The focus is on a Middle Eastern family. The teen boy in the film is shown doing his chores, which involves running a US flag up the flagpole, where he is watched with trepidation by his neighbor. Though it is a diverse neighborhood, many don’t seem to trust one another. But during a massive flood, as the boy cries for help to save his mother, who is in a wheelchair, the neighbors rise to the occasion, banding together to pull her to safety. Rising hopes to encourage all Americans to come together and ultimately inspire people to act inclusively every day.

“Rising is a poignant and powerful film that takes us back to where we started with Love Has No Labels, reminding everyone to see each other as humans above all else,” said Lisa Sherman, president and chief executive officer of the Ad Council. “In moments of disaster, our capacity for good is limitless and we cast our differences aside to support one another. This film will inspire people to bring that innate humanity into their daily actions and create a more inclusive world.”

Rising reflects research that shows that catastrophes have one of the most profoundly unifying effects on people. The dramatic short film was created pro bono by R/GA with Great Guns and VFX by Ntropic. Though the action is fictional, a closing montage features photos of real disaster survivors coming together regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability and age. The film challenges viewers to carry an innate capacity to love one another into their daily lives through small acts of inclusion.