Red Cross fires a tragic bullet

This powerful anti-gun PSA for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) brilliantly conveys how a misfiring impacts not only the victim but the family and community around him. 

It marks a collaboration between agency TBWA Spain, production company Primo Mexico and M&M, a director duo comprising Martin Jalfen and Mike Usandivaras who shot the film in real Mexico City neighbourhoods where gun crime is a daily reality. 

The inspiration came from M&M’s research into economically-depressed regions of Latin America, and the stories they contained: “Gun violence in Latin America has more victims than a war, so it got us thinking about how one bullet can impact an entire community,” recalls Usandivaras. “It’s not uncommon to see families of gun victims relocating out of fear, or children and siblings dropping out of school to start working, and in most cases, they don’t have any type of psychological help to deal with the PTSD from these experiences.”  

While the film contains some bloody depictions of gunshot wounds, Jalfen maintains that the intent is not to offend but instead to drive home the often-overlooked human toll of gun violence. “We hope that everyone who sees the film feels touched by the path of this bullet,” he concludes. 

Thom Yorke of Radiohead provided the track titled Dawn Chorus.

The film was recently named a finalist at the El Ojo de Iberoamérica festival for several categories including writing, cinematography, and craft, and again for cinematography at the Ciclope festival in Berlin.