BEYOND FACES CAMPAIGN
Changing how we look at people with a facial difference
Changing how we look at facial difference.
In an increasingly normalized world, people with a facial difference are still rejected or bullied. Around 8000 children every year are born with a facial difference and many more suffer from accidents, traumas, cancers, illnesses that drastically change their facial appearance. No matter how old we are, what our social status or origin is…this can affect all of us.
The main objective of the “Beyond faces” project is to encourage all of us to change how we look at people with a facial difference, so that these people can live their lives fully, without dreading glances or derogatory comments.
The film “beyond faces”.
Anita Volker and Cyril Caine, screen-writers and directors of the movie, have relied on humour and laughter to encourage us to think about how we judge and accept others.
The 2:30 mn film, edited into 4 shorter versions of 30 to 45 seconds, showcases a group of people with facial differences. Each person makes up a funny story to explain his/her facial appearance. The goal is to use humour to re-establish a connection with the audience as opposed to focusing on the facial difference of the actors.
“Beyond Faces” project.
The project “beyond faces”, led by Anita Volker, is a collaboration between Institut Faire Faces, the Head and Neck health consortium and the rare illness center MAFACE.
The objective of this project is to create and broadcast videos, testimonials, educational tools to change how we look at people with facial differences.
Thanks to the support of Badass production agency, the first milestone of the project was reached with the creation of the “beyond faces” video, directed by Anita Volker and Cyril Caine. We aim to share and broadcast this film as widely as possible, first on French national TV France 3 and France 5 from August 29th until September 4th.
The project team.
Director and photograph, Anita co-directed the movie “beyond faces”. She worked as an operating room nurse for 15 years in the Amiens Hospital and photograph in the Necker Enfants malades hospital.Anita uses various arts such as photography and cinematography to influence and change how we look at people with a facial difference. Her documentary “So what?”, produced by Keren Production, will air in 2022. (http://www.keren-production.fr/films/et-alors/).
Photograph and director, Cyril Caine launched a unique project more than ten years ago, “In vU” “Entre-sort” on the topic of disfigurement.
He was the first photograph to treat this topic in such a way, a visual protest against normative ideas on beauty. His photographs can at times be very cinematographic and social.
His work was presented in numerous exhibitions, magazines and on TV in the USA, Russia, UK. Japan, Brazil and China…He is currently working on a new photographic project and on his feature film. He regularly works as an actor for the big screen as well as for TV.
The Institut Faire Faces is a research center on surgery of the face. It was created in 2009 by Professor Devauchelle, surgeon at Amiens University Hospital and author of the first face transplant in the world. The Institute has three main objectives:
- Develop research programs in order to better diagnose and treat head and neck pathologies.
- Develop and deliver advanced surgical training programs.
- Change how people look at facial difference.
Badass, created in 2017 by Marie Bordaz and Blaise Izard, is an audiovisual and creative production agency.
It designs and produces various types of audiovisual products : commercials, documentaries, video clips, animated movies, etc..
Since its beginnings, Badass has produced films for brands such as La Poste, McDonald’s, Quick, L’Oreal, la SNCF, Vinted, Nissan, Avene and artists such as Vitaa and Slimane, kendji, Gims, Soolking.
Badass works with renowned French (Alexandre Moors, Daniel Perez…) and international directors (Dave Meyers, Trevor Cornish…) and is famous for producing highly artistic and creative work.
www.badassfilms.tv
The generous donors below have participated in the crowdfunding campaign that has allowed us to realize the first milestone of the project:
Mme Gablin ;Mme Margery ;M. Baccala ;Mme Lange ;Mme Abbal ;Mme Etchevers ;M. Leignier ;Mme Montmoreau ;Mme Sitbon ;Mme Benmoussa ;M. Boucher ;M. Périer ;Mme Sambuis ;M. Rigel ;Mme Prevot-Leygonie ;Mme Gurgel ;M. Dutaud ;Mme Huyghe ;M. Pugnaire ;M. Matton ;M. Barré-Foncelle ;Mme Tredunit ;Mme Rieu ;Mme Madzak ;Mme fevrier ;M. Guyot ;Mme Cot ;Mme Labille ;M. Beulaygue ;M. Savreux ;M. Le Quéré ;Mme Robin ;M. Gacher ;Mme Hammer ;M. Gicquel ;Mme Desprez ;Mme Sansoucy ;Mme Maisonneuve ;M. Albaric ;M. Gonzalez ;Mme Doré ;Mme Belin-mary ;Mme PAN ;Mme Arhainx ;Mme Brock ;Mme Pedrazzi ;Mme Alaux ;M. Peron ;M. Giraud ;M. Frentzel ;Mme Teste ;Mme brouchoud ;Mme Kornmann ;Mme Becart ;M. Bobillier Chaumont ;Mme Lang