Amnesty International: “Torchure”

Sweetworld animated for Amnesty International (and against the Beijiing Olympics) in this darkly cute spot entitled “Torchure.”

We’ve posted many beautiful projects about the upcoming Olympics—there’s a lot of money to be made selling shoes and fast food on the coattails of such a huge international event—but I’ve always chosen to focus on the aspect of craft. This isn’t a political blog, and I’m not really a political guy. But this spot hits a nerve (a good one) and I can’t ignore its message.

What strikes me most is the approach Sweetworld took. Instead of trying to do something overly dramatic and “gripping,” they appropriated the Fuwa and turned them against their master. The superficial cuteness is an ironic underlining of China’s countless misdeeds. Craft and message are inextricably intertwined.

About the author

Justin Cone

/ justincone.com
Together with Carlos El Asmar, Justin co-founded Motionographer, F5 and The Motion Awards. He currently lives in Austin, Texas with is wife, son and fluffball of a dog. Before taking on Motionographer full-time, Justin worked in various capacities at Psyop, NBC-Universal, Apple, Adobe and SCAD.