2022 Winners & Shortlists

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

An eco-conscious polar bear is taking a wasteful family to task. She’s surprisingly passive aggressive as she nudges the family to eat less meat, switch to energy saving lightbulbs and swap car journeys for bike rides. The polar bear represents an environmentally-aware mother who is taking the lead on adopting a more sustainable lifestyle.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

The UAE region is one of the least conscious when it comes to sustainability. At the same time IKEA is a brand with a strong commitment to saving the environment. So that's why the brand wanted to educate people on how to improve their behaviour at home to save energy, not waste food and make conscious choices every day. This was an important task for IKEA in the region.

Tell the jury about the innovation and advancements used during production. You may wish to comment on the inventive use of new or existing technology to enhance the final execution.

The bear was brought to life using a combination of animatronics, performance and sound design. The suit was worn by a performer and came with two puppeteers who operate the animatronic head and neck. Understanding how the suit worked, what actions were easily performed and what other actions were possible were the main challenge. Through body language and facial expressions the animatronic polar bear could convey many emotions: this on one hand and the sound design on the other hand, helped build the mama bear's strong but loving character. The team was determined to bring nuance to this gentle giant’s character: firm, gentle, a little bit intimidating but driven by love.