Women for Women International asked us to help tell the story of Linda - a woman who'd survived war, loss, and unimaginable hardship. And no, this wasn’t about trauma porn or textbook charity storytelling. It was about dignity, softness, and – yes - strength.
We crafted a 2-minute hero animation which balanced poetic voiceover with real footage from Nigeria, created animated segments from scratch, and sweated the sound design like it was a full-length drama. Because sometimes the quietest films carry the loudest truths.
From day one, this was a collaboration - a proper one.
We worked with the WfWI team across 3 countries, one incredible Nigerian filmmaker (shoutout to Onilede Michael), an illustration queen (big up Emily Catherine) and an animation wizard (the legend Lee Ramsay) who reworked scarf straps and satchels like they were narrative linchpins. And in a way… they were.
The story was built around Linda’s memory of Hope - a woman whose kindness in the face of conflict became a turning point. We used real interview audio, layered with new voiceover takes, and paired it with striking hand-drawn animation and in-situ b-roll. No glitz. No guilt. Just real power.