The US is also known as the land of the free — a statement embedded in the country’s national anthem as well. Sadly, the events that have been happening inside the nation’s borders lately strongly contradict this belief Americans have about their country. You have most probably heard by now that the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade landmark, which means that the right to safe and legal abortion is no longer protected by the Constitution and that it is up to individual states to decide on whether to remove women’s right to abortion or not.

Joining forces with Norwegian ad agency Anorak (part of The North Alliance <NoA>), the organization focused on human rights, Amnesty International, embarked on a new mission to challenge this decision by questioning the free spirit usually associated with America. Directed by Nicolina Knapp and produced by B-Reel Films, “The Land of the Unfree” global campaign film highlights the consequences women across the US have to endure under the US’ strict abortion laws.

The campaign presents the stories of four females, each having to put their pregnancy in the context of the new decision. The scenes depict the protagonists’ feelings of being powerless, being in pain, or struggling with motherhood. The images speak for themselves; you can try it for yourself — even in the absence of an audio background, viewers can still see the worries that haunt these women whose future no longer depends on their decisions, but rather, stands in the hands of the state. However, it is the acoustic element that makes the public truly understand the emotional distress these women have to experience because of the Court’s recent verdict.

The audio is something Americans are undoubtedly familiar with: the “Star-Spangled Banner,” the country’s national anthem and, in this context, “an elegy for women’s rights,” says the organization. Performed by award-winning Norwegian artist Emilie Nicolas, the word “free” at the end of the anthem is replaced with silence, the artist stopping to sing where “it hurts the most.”

The idea that led to building this video is based on the fact that there is a paradox in the way the US — a country that speaks about freedom louder than any other country around the globe — is now restricting women’s freedom on what to do with their own bodies. “The hope for the campaign is to help Amnesty put pressure on those in power and all Americans in general and give them an opportunity to reflect on whether they can still call themselves ‘The Land of the Free,’” says Anorak’s Peter Power, who was part of the creative team.

Keeping the severity of the subject they had to speak about in mind, the director treated this topic with great respect. “Cinematically, I wanted the shots to feel raw, honest, and unexpected, in order to accurately depict the reality of the characters’ trauma and internal conflict,” explains Knapp. “The core strengths that make these women stand out and carry their emotions on their sleeve; it is something you can’t always touch, but that you can sense.”

The video kicked off on June 24th and quickly gained internet users’ attention, having received 3,3 million views on TikTok in the first 48 hours. People from all over the world reacted to the video with many users commenting that “We are not free” or “it feels like a movie, it can’t be real.” Moreover, other users offered to house American women in case they find themselves in need to leave the country to have a safe abortion procedure.

The campaign is set to run on digital and social in more than ten countries, being translated into six languages, including Chinese. Additionally, the initiative also includes a petition, where Amnesty urges people to support the organization to help millions of women across the US have the right to safe and legal abortion.

“The unthinkable has happened, and there is an urgent need to create international pressure — especially on the 22 states that have passed laws that completely or partially prohibit abortion. I hope people get involved and sign our campaign on amnesty.no,” concludes Camilla Kolverud, Fundraising and Marketing Manager at Amnesty.

Credits:

Client: Amnesty International

Marketing and Fundraising Manager: Camilla Kolverud

Advisor: Kristine Djuvik Kro

Com Director: Sindre Stranden Tollefsen

Com Adviser: Varin Hiwa

Agency: Anorak // The North Alliance (NoA)

Creative: Lars Holthe

Creative: Peter Power

Creative: Stein Simonsen

Client Director: Janne Espevalen

Project Manager: Camilla Von Borcke

Brand Activation: Klaudia Lech

Designer: Catrine Kooyman

Motion: Erlend Dal Sakshaug

Motion: Nökkvi Thorsteinsson

Production Company: B-Reel Films

Director: Nicolina Knapp

Director-assistant & SAD: Viviana Figueroa

Executive Producer: Anisa Dzindo

Producer: Fiffi Kjell

Producer: Kim Jansson

DOP: Andreas Johannessen

Set Designer: Angelica Nyman

Stylist: Liselotte Bramstång

MUA: Danella Ericsson

MUA: Angelique Karlsson

Editor: Emma Backman

Colorist: Joakim Rissved

Sound Design: Ponytail

Online: Joakim Andreasson

Music agency & Executive Producer: Ohlogy

Artist: Emilie Nicolas

Artist Management: Little Big Sister

Music Producer: Nils Martin Larsen