PROGRESSION

This commercial was produced for Progression – an organization that works every day to support families with children with limited resources, both socially, financially and mentally. Progression wanted to focus on a growing problem in modern family life: the digital distance between children and parents. Many parents want to be present, but find that digital life constantly draws attention away from those they love most.

The theme "Parents in a digital world" was chosen as the creative and emotional starting point for the film. The aim was not to point fingers, but to create recognition, reflection and conversation - especially with parents who already feel pressured in everyday life, and who may be struggling with a guilty conscience about a lack of presence.

The production was developed in close creative collaboration between Mazen and LION Creative. The entire process – from idea development and script to casting, filming and editing – was organized with consideration for both target group and message. We wanted to create a story where the viewer can immediately feel both the child's loss and the parent's inner conflict, without it becoming moralizing or dramatic for the sake of drama.

The scene is set in an everyday environment where many can mirror themselves: a living room, a sofa, a child with a teddy bear – and a mother who is actually physically present, but mentally trapped in her phone. The camera and the narrative are structured so that the child's feelings come into focus, while at the same time we understand that the parent does not care - she is just caught up in something that many of us know all too well.

As a powerful tool, we chose to let the child be the voice of the film. The voice over, spoken by the girl in the film, turns the perspective on its head: instead of the child telling about an absent parent, it is the mother's voice and guilty conscience that is expressed through the child. That grip hits hard - because it reveals that children often perceive, understand and feel more than parents think.

The voice over reads:

*"I know I spend too much time on my phone. And I promised you to put it down when we are finally together. Social media pulls me in. But I also know that the time I spend on the screen will not come back. Time goes by so fast and I feel like I have to keep up all the time. It's like I'd rather spend one hour with 100 different people online that I don't really know.

Than spending 100 hours with the people I love the most. I promise to put my phone down today and be a better mother.”*

The text is written based on real reflections from parents in Progression's target group. Many feel shame or inadequacy, but lack a loving push for change – not a raised finger. Precisely for this reason, the tone and imagery are made vulnerable, honest and intimate.

The film was created with the ambition of being able to be used on several platforms – both digitally, socially and in preventive work. It speaks as much to a wide audience as to professionals, educators, parenting groups and organizations working with families in vulnerable positions.

The result is a powerful, visual narrative that resonates, moves and activates reflection – not through dramatic effects, but through authenticity, silence and a message that almost everyone can relate to. The film is an example of how creative storytelling can be used to create social value and start important conversations.