Strangers
- 1973
Wrestling as a metaphor for race relations in this short aimed at Britain's South-Asian community
Greco-Roman, professional, or lubricated in oil - despite its diversity, wrestling is not the most obvious metaphor for race relations. But the important concept here is that of rules and fair play, with a referee in the shape of the Race Relations Board to police the Race Relations Act of 1976. The film is clearly intended for a British South Asian audience.
Animation film promoting the work of the Race Relations Board.
Animation has an almost magical ability to charm and captivate. And those same qualities also make it a strikingly effective communication tool. It grabs attention, speaks to all ages, and can distil complex messages into simple and appealing visual metaphors. For government or other august bodies, cartoon antics have often been the perfect jam to sweeten the pill of official communications, whether to explain sweeping change or impart health and safety messages. And for the inventive animator, even the most utilitarian brief is no barrier to the most outlandish of treatments.