2022 Winners & Shortlists

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

The film tells the story of a young boy borrowing a book from his local library and forgetting to return it, only to rediscover the book years later. The opening sequence features a young man finding a dust-covered copy of ‘The Arabian Nights’ whilst clearing out his attic, which takes him back in time to the library where he borrowed it as a child, reminding him of the kind librarian who had encouraged him to take an interest in reading. As an adult, he returns to the library where the librarian has been replaced by a young woman, who opens a locker to reveal a note left to the boy by the old man that redeems the boys shame. No dialogue is necessary in this touching animation, as it sensitively recounts the story as an allegory for borrowing something and keeping your word to return or pay it back.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

Every year, thousands of people fall into a debt spiral in the UAE due to easy credit access and lack of financial education. The fact that the population of country is largely made up of expats compounds things further since they aren’t entirely aware of the policies, and defaulting payments could lead to serious repercussions. Al Etihad Credit Bureau was established to bring transparency to the lending business, while also facilitating residents with all that they need to know to access their credit worthiness. Their recently launched app makes it ever so easy for people who would like to take a loan out for personal or business reasons. With this film, we wanted to position the Bureau as someone who only has the best interest of the residents in mind.

Please tell us about the social behaviour and / or cultural insights that inspired your work

UAE is home to people from over 180 countries from different backgrounds, across different income groups. Being the first ever piece of communication commissioned by the bureau, the work needed to have universal appeal and a sensitive approach. We intentionally chose to go down the path of an animated movie because they usually help lower the guards of the audience. The entire story is conveyed as an allegory of borrowing books that instantly stirs a nostalgic value, while delivering the message around borrowing money which has always been a touchy topic for the financial industry.