Birds Never Forget To Fly

Playmakers / Enkeny Films/ Heima Production / Creative Director -  Koka Kamushadze / Art Director - Mari Lortkipanidze / Strategy Director - Nuka Shevardnadze / Account Manager - Megy Tsintsabadze / Designers - Anna Gabunia, Maryam (Sasha) Akulashvili / Creative Team Member - Nanuka Ninidze / Casting Manager - Masho Samadashvili / Executive Producer - Bacho Meburishvili / Line Producer - Sophio Bendiashvili / Producer - Beka Kirtava /  Director - Giorgi Okmelashvili, Davit Borchkhadze / DOP - Giorgi Shvelidze / Set Designer - Davit Chkoidze

Background Birds Never Forget to Fly is the first commercial video in history to be directed from jail by a political prisoner - a well-known Georgian director currently serving a five-year sentence. The voice and main character of the film is also a political prisoner: a young actor who is one of Georgia’s most celebrated rising stars. Georgia is living through one of the hardest chapters in its modern history. After a year of unbroken protests, 67 political prisoners now sit behind bars - not criminals, but those who once shaped our art, business, and science. Among them: a celebrated film director and one of the country’s most beloved actor. Independence Day is one of Georgia’s biggest celebrations and a stage for brands to compete with their campaigns. PSP - the pharmacy brand known for standing by the truth and supporting people in hard times, wanted to mark Georgia’s Independence Day. But not with another feel-good, safe campaign. They wanted something real. A bold statement of support. Creative Idea Involving political prisoners in the production process was the core idea behind the entire concept. The true culmination of the film didn’t unfold in the final scene or even in its central message. It happened in another dimension - the credits. When viewers discovered that the film had been directed from prison, and that the voice they heard throughout had also been recorded inside a prison cell the entire story snapped into place turning the film from a metaphor into a lived reality, proving its message: that even behind bars, creativity, freedom of thought, and the human spirit cannot be contained. One of the challenges was including the actor as the main character, even though he could never set foot on the set. We wrote the story from his point of view, using a subjective camera. The audience never sees him, only hears his voice and experiences the picture entirely through his eyes. Execution The storyboard, sketched in Cell #10, told a fictional story of selfless, almost irrational devotion to an ideal: the belief that even after years lost and dreams locked away, those behind bars will one day return to their craft. It carried a quiet hope that when they do, they’ll prove a simple truth: freedom can be caged, but never forgotten. But communication with director was limited to phone calls and letters. So to fill the gap, we had another director, who also happens to be his childhood friend. The moment Georgia’s most celebrated cinema and theatre stars heard about the idea they stepped in, taking even the smallest roles to help bring the script to life. The brief, episodic appearances you see in the film are played by some of the biggest names in the country. The voice of the main character was recorded over prison phone calls on old landline phones, filled with static, interruptions, and background noise from other inmates and guards. The sound production company worked tirelessly to clean the recording and achieve the final result. Results Although the director and lead actor haven’t seen the film yet, the rest of Georgia has. It became the first commercial discussed on political talk shows. Banned by two pro-government channels, it spread anyway - reaching over 10 million views. (Georgia’s population - 3.67 million) It turned into a protest slogan and a symbol of hope for political prisoners. One political prisoner held up the message - "Birds Never Forget To Fly" during his trial. When his charges were dismissed and he was released, his freedom became yet another testament to the message’s truth. The main message is still seen on demonstration posters, in street art, in courtrooms. The brand’s courageous action strengthened loyalty among both existing customers and non-customers, leading to significant business success. In the quarter following the campaign, revenue increased by 26% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, while the number of unique users grew by 5%. The campaign set a new social media benchmark for PSP, increasing engagement by 538%.