White Ribbon - Boys Don't Cry - (2019) 2:55 (Canada)

White Ribbon Canada Launches “Boys Don’t Cry,” a Public Service Announcement by Oscar-nominated Director Hubert Davis

– In conjunction with Anti-Bullying Day, PSA takes a look at the root of toxic masculinity –

Advocacy group White Ribbon released today “Boys Don’t Cry,” a public service announcement by Oscar-nominated director Hubert Davis that offers a heart-wrenching look at the root of toxic masculinity, the role it plays in gender-based violence and how easily it might be prevented.

The three-minute film, created by Bensimon Byrne, ponders what boys are and are not allowed to feel. It follows the life of a boy from infancy to young adulthood, showing how various inputs throughout his life, including episodes of bullying, tragically lead him towards committing gender-based violence.

National research has found that one in five students is affected by bullying and half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16. White Ribbon wants to spark a conversation about the importance of healthy self-esteem, compassion, and emotional intelligence in boys. The video calls on viewers to visit www.boysdontcry.ca to learn more about how to promote healthy masculinities, prevent bullying and contribute to a future without gender-based violence.

Davis, who has been nominated for an Academy Award and Emmy Award for his work as a documentary filmmaker, directed the PSA pro bono via Toronto-based Untitled Films.

“It was important for me to make this film because I believe strongly that men have a responsibility to educate themselves in order to be part of positive change,” Davis said.

“As a society we still live with negative, outdated concepts of manhood, with very toxic results,” Davis said. “If we want to prevent gender-based violence, we need to address what’s at the roots of it.”

White Ribbon is the world’s largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women and girls, promote gender equity, healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity. Since its inception in Toronto in 1991, the White Ribbon Campaign has spread to over 60 countries around the world. “Boys Don’t Cry” builds on White Ribbon’s ongoing work to promote healthy masculinities and recent participation in the 16 Days of Activism, an international campaign to end violence against women and girls around the world.

“To have someone as esteemed as Hubert Davis direct this PSA really underscores the importance of building a vision of masculinity worldwide that embodies the best qualities of being human,” said Humberto Carolo, White Ribbon’s Executive Director and a gender-based violence prevention specialist.

“We hope the video will help continue a cultural shift that helps brings us to a future without violence against women and girls and people of all genders and sexual orientations,” Carolo added.

To learn more about White Ribbon and “Boys Don’t Cry”, visit www.boysdontcry.ca

Title: Boys Don’t Cry
Client: White Ribbon

Agency: Bensimon Byrne/Narrative
ECD: Joseph Bonnici
ACD/writer: David Mueller
ACD/art director: Debbie Chan
Writer : Matt Doran
Project manager: Sara Leroux
Strategist: Brittany Dow
Agency Producer: Michelle Pilling
Associate Account Manager: Vanessa Kissoon
Account Manager: Jackie Kleinberg
Account Manager: Tony Koutoulas
Account Director: Andrea Lee
Account Coordinator: Madeleine Porter

Production Company: Untitled Films
Executive Producer: Tom Evelyn
Director: Hubert Davis
Line Producer:Tom Evelyn

Post Production Offline: Rooster Post Production
Executive Producer: Melissa Kahn
Editor: Michelle Czukar

Post Production Online: Alter Ego
Producer: Hilda Pereira
Editor: Eric Perrella/Darren Achim
Transfer: Alter Ego
Colourist: Clinton Homuth

Audio House: Berkeley
Producer: Tyna Maerzke
Director: Jared Kuemper
Engineer: Jared Kuemper
Casting: Shasta Lutz, Jigsaw Casting