Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) / Imagine Justice: #WeMatterTo

International production company Park Pictures director Savanah Leaf and Park Pictures executive producer Cody Ryder shed light on the dangerous lack of health and safety standards for incarcerated individuals during the Covid-19 crisis in “#WeMatterToo”, an animated PSA created in partnership with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC) and Imagine Justice. Part of the larger #WeMatterToo campaign of the same name, the short features interviews from current inmates discussing their frightening real experiences living through the outbreak, recounting the lack of social distancing measures and other necessities like masks, sanitisers and more. In close quarters, the subjects understand that an outbreak of Covid-19 in any jail would spread “like wildfire.” The animations blend a monochromatic palate with bold stylised imagery of inmates suffering under living conditions reflected in the interviews, driving home the severity of the situation in graphic detail. Leaf connected with the animation directors at ArtCamp to pair visuals as dramatic as the interviews, a charcoal-esque sketchy style that lent itself both to the raw subject matter of the PSA and to the fast turnaround required for the work. Without the inmates physically filmed for context, the animation took the tenor of the interviews and enhanced the emotions behind each account. #WeMatterToo comprises 39 activist organisations and will feature dialogues with Kamala Harris, Ayanna Pressley, and Common, among others. Devastating statistics highlighted in the campaign include an Ohio prison where over 70% of inmates have tested positive for Covid-19.