Imagination, Whale
When I watched Imagination, Whale for the first time, I thought it was the trailer for a Japanese horror movie. It’s a brilliant ad, and the critics share my sentiments: it won many awards, including the Silver Lion at Cannes Lions 2002.
To be honest, I doubt anyone could have guessed what the boy was drawing based on his first piece of blackened paper. What impressed me was the dedication shown by his teachers and doctors; they never gave up hope on him. I believe this is the real message that the ad is trying to send across.
No child should ever be labelled a failure, and it’s our duty to bring out the best in them. Margaret Fishback Powers was right when she said:
One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car you drove, what kind of house you lived in, how much you had in your bank account, or what your clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because you were important in the life of a child.
Channel 8 is showing I Not Stupid next Sunday night. We should seriously ponder the issues raised in the movie; who are we leaving behind as we revamp our education system in the name of meritocracy.