Network Rail proves There Is Always Hope

The campaign follows one man as he passes through a station to catch his train. Viewers catch a glimpse of the lives of other people around him, as we see a woman reach out to another who is crying on the phone, an attendant offering directions to passengers, and a man helping a mother carry her pram down the stairs. These random acts of kindness continue around our protagonist, who presents a sense of vulnerability and melancholy. As his train arrives, however, a fellow passenger allows him to board first - a small act that reminds us there’s always hope. 

Director Duncan Christie set out to create a series of moments that felt simple, yet powerful. The team was conscious that the scenes shouldn’t become overly complex and feel constructed, focusing instead on these everyday moments that can mean a lot - especially when coming from a stranger. 

Christie comments: “The intention was to create a contrast between the hopeful moments we observe in the station generally, and the main performance from our hero character, which is at odds with everything else. Not every scene needed to be a big moment; we needed a balance of real life and hope. If we weren’t subtle enough this might start to feel disingenuous, but if we were too subtle the idea wouldn’t come across. We unanimously agreed that the characters should all be wearing masks, but it was great to realise that you could still ‘see’ a character smiling behind them. Sound design was really important, but it was the lines of dialogue, which weren’t scripted, that became a key tool in telling the story.”