Me Too Survivors Tell Their Stories Through Animated PSAs

Although 2018 was the year that #MeToo went viral, the original Me Too movement, led by civil rights activist Tarana Burke, started more than a decade ago, in 2006. 

Now, Burke's non-profit group has teamed up with Deutsch and a slew of supporting agencies and production companies including Steelhead, Hornet, Elastic, Psyop and We Are Royale, to put the focus back on the survivors of sexual assault by offering them a platform to tell their stories.

In the four spots, which screened at Sundance Festival this weekend, the survivors' tales are brought to life through spare but elegant animation. The narrators range from high-profile public figures such as the actor and former American football player Terry Crews [top], who spoke out about being groped by a Hollywood executive in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations, to an anonymous 31-year-old man's account of childhood abuse by his father.

The stories of women and immigrants are also represented in the campaign: domestic abuse survivor turned activist, Emily Waters, talks about feeling responsible for the violence she experienced within her relationship, while Daniela Contreras, assaulted as a teenager by her employer when she arrived as a cleaner and undocumented immigrant, tells her story in Spanish.

Harrowing and at times hard to listen to, the videos explore themes of shame, silence, responsibility and guilt, but ultimately conclude with an uplifting message of support and solidarity: “We hear you. We see you. We believe you.”

“The Me Too movement is part of a collective vision to see a world free from sexual violence,” said Burke. “We can build this world by shifting the parts of our culture that propagate the idea that vulnerability is synonymous with permission. These powerful shorts place the focus back where it belongs: the dignity, humanity and healing of all survivors. These courageous individuals are not alone and we hope that people around the world see their journeys reflected in the words of these brave individuals.”