Christian Aid has launched ‘A Stranger Christmas Story’, a short stop-frame animation film inspired by the popular Netflix TV show Stranger Things, to highlight the 65 million people who are displaced by conflict and disaster this Christmas.
Link to film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al8EprTtx0U
The film, directed by Rebecca Gower, features animation based on characters from Stranger Things, but also pays homage to the Nativity. It’s a Christmas story mash-up with Christmas lights at the centre of the action, a nod to both Stranger Things and the charity’s Christmas appeal ‘Light the Way’. The appeal aims to offer a beacon of hope for those who’ve fled their homes in search of safety.
The short film follows the journey of three wise boys as they use their special gifts to search for a boy who was far from home. The ambiguous boy alludes to Stranger Things’ character Will Byers, Baby Jesus and the millions of displaced people who can’t be at home this Christmas. The boys are helped on their journey with a message from an angelic young girl who knows where the boy can be found.
Emma Wigley, Multimedia Communications Manager at Christian Aid said: ‘This year we wanted to find a unique way to highlight our Christmas appeal. With a narrative that involves the search for a young boy, a messenger who bridges two worlds and lights that guide the way, strong parallels can be made between the TV series and the Nativity. We wanted to use that idea to produce a film that is both contemporary and timeless, but ultimately draws attention to the worst global displacement crisis of our time.’
Christian Aid was founded 70 years ago to support refugees in the wake of the Second World War, and continues to support those searching for safety today, including people from war-torn nations such as Syria and Iraq.
Ongoing violence and instability in South Sudan, DRC, Afghanistan and Nigeria – among others – has resulted in the huge scale movement of desperate people. Most stay within their own country or are hosted in neighbouring countries, and a small percentage are seeking safety in Europe.
Just £5 could give an essential set of clothes to a person fleeing violence, £11 could supply a week’s worth of hygiene essentials to a family of five in Serbia, and £50 could provide seeds and tools to help a family forced out of their home in the DRC to grow food to feed themselves.
The film was directed by Rebecca Gower and the music composed by David M Saunders.
For information, case studies or to donate to the Christmas Appeal, visit www.caid.org.uk/stranger-christmas
Notes to Editors:
1. Christian Aid works in some of the world's poorest communities in around 40 countries at any one time. We act where there is great need, regardless of religion, helping people to live a full life, free from poverty. We provide urgent, practical and effective assistance in tackling the root causes of poverty as well as its effects.
2. Christian Aid’s core belief is that the world can and must be changed so that poverty is ended: this is what we stand for. Everything we do is about ending poverty and injustice: swiftly, effectively, sustainably. Our strategy document Partnership for Change explains how we set about this task.
3. Christian Aid is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of more than 130 churches and church-related organisations that work together in humanitarian assistance, advocacy and development.
