Lalou & Joaquin Direct GOTV PSA for EducateUS, Urging Action on Local School Board Elections Nationwide

Directing duo Lalou & Joaquin, in collaboration with agency Gutsy Media, have released a striking PSA for EducateUS in a push to get out the vote for school board elections across the U.S. Supporting EducateUS’ mission of ensuring access to public school sex education through grassroots voting power, this PSA focuses on the concept of Black liberation being closely intertwined with sexual wellness and bodily autonomy. The PSA campaign is built upon EducateUS’ foundational research throughout 2022 and a series of follow-up messaging tests in 2023. The campaign is out now and available to be licensed and tailored for local markets. View the flagship spot, “Liberation,” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaWRADe6_to

The 30-second “Liberation” spot features dancers moving in harmony with the projection of a powerful film composed of archival footage from moments and icons of America’s civil rights history. Lalou & Joaquin collaborated with editor Chris Mitchell of Rock Paper Scissors to develop the projection film and worked with Optical Animal on visual and projection design. The duo was excited by the idea of combining storytelling, dance and projection to capture unique in-camera visual effects, grounding the project in humanity and realism even amid visual experimentation.

Lalou & Joaquin also brought in choreographer Luam Keflezgy, with whom they had previously collaborated, to achieve the film’s unique blend of street style with classical dance abilities. Luam found five dancers for the film and meticulously choreographed their movements to complement the archival imagery being projected, harnessing emotion and story through dance.

Julie Hermelin, Managing Partner at Gutsy Media, shared: "At Gutsy Media we connect top tier creatives with the opportunity to use their talents for positive social impact. Lalou and Joaquin have always been so deeply committed to social justice work. With their incredible talent behind the camera, they were the obvious choice to capture the emotional heart of this powerful narrative and expertly express it through dance and projections. We couldn't be more thrilled to see it live in the world and effect positive change in our communities."

“Bodily freedom, and the issue of Black liberation tied to that, really spoke to us on a personal level. As we learned more about EducateUS and their goals, and the link between elections and sex and wellness education, we knew that we wanted to help communicate the get out the vote effort to a wide audience,” said Lalou. “Knowledge is power, and young people deserve a robust foundation of knowledge in order to thrive.”

"When I think about what liberation means to me, as a Black woman, I think about freedom over my body and the right to exist without bias and judgment due to the color of my skin. I believe that the message of liberation resonates with us all, that’s why I’m so thankful to have worked with such an amazing team of creatives to see this message come to life,” concluded EducateUS Lead Organizer, Candace Hardnett.

Creative partners since 2006, Lalou Dammond and Joaquin Baca-Asay dynamically blend the roles of director, cinematographer, producer, and photographer, and they are known for bringing surprising visual elements into their work.

Funding for the PSA came from EducateUS’ partners at the Harnisch Foundation and the Equality Federation.

About EducateUS
EducateUS is a new kind of sex ed advocacy organization, building a movement of voters laser-focused on advancing progressive sex education policy and implementation across the country. We do this by organizing at the grassroots and grasstops, endorsing and supporting pro-sex-ed school board candidates, and via innovative narrative change work that is transforming the way people talk about and understand the issue of sex ed. We believe that universal public sex education can change the world. Join us at educateusaction.org and at @educateusaction on social media.

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Credits:

Client: EducateUS
Executive Director: Jaclyn Friedman
Lead Researcher: Monika Nayak
Lead Organizer: Candace E. Hardnett
Organizing Intern: Tamia Thompson
Communications Intern: Elizabeth Fier

Agency: Gutsy Media
Managing Partner / Executive Producer: Julie Hermelin
Executive Producer: Mary Ann Marino
Executive Producer: Lisa Lee

“Liberation”
Directors: Lalou & Joaquin
DP: Joaquin Baca-Asay
Producer: Yah-mari Cole
Production Supervisor: West Jones
Archival Producer: Malaika Woluchem
Writer: Mark Kendall
Choreographer: Luam Keflezgy
Video Protection: JR Skola and Max Nova, Optical Animal
Wardrobe Stylist: Iusaset “UU” Bakr
Editor: Chris Mitchell, Rock Paper Scissors
VFX: Andy McKenna, A52
Color: Ale Amato, Primary Color
Sound Design: Fred Helm
Dancer: Jada Clark
Dancer: Erica Hynes
Dancer: Xavier Mack
Dancer: Bradyn Pettyway
Dancer: Tiffany Rae
Location: The Joyce Theater Foundation’s New York Center for Creativity and Dance