Keeping Terry's dream in motion

Toronto agency Diamond has collaborated with Fela director Adrian Villagomez and the CG animation crew at Mathematic to create an engaging stop-motion-inspired film.

More than four decades after Canadian Terry Fox set out on his Marathon of Hope in 1980, his mission to find a cure for cancer continues apace in this stunning film. Beginning with a simple image of Terry on the road, the film gathers momentum before gradually opening out into a much bigger world, illustrating how his determination continues to inspire a community of volunteers, supporters and Canada's leading cancer researchers. 

Packed with details, the richly layered handcrafted animation is the result of the labours of 52 artists who contributed more than 4,500 hours of work, creating a world that feels warmly rooted in 1980 while remaining connected to the present. The message is simple: Fox started the marathon, but it will take all of us to finish it.

After losing his leg to cancer at just 18, Fox set himself an extraordinary challenge: to run across the country and raise money for cancer research. On April 12, 1980, he dipped his artificial leg into the Atlantic and set off on his run, covering 5,373 kilometres before cancer returned and forced him to stop. Although he never reached the Pacific, his determination captured the imagination of a nation. Before his death in June 1981, he achieved his goal of raising a dollar from every Canadian, setting in motion the Terry Fox Run, which has since raised more than $850 million for cancer research.