A rise in domestic violence cases in 2021 in Greece, has stunned the nation, especially after 13 brutal femicides have been reported in media since the beginning of the year, creating a grim body count that keeps rising every other month. Many of these murders have been falsely attributed to extreme passion or have been called “love” crimes.
Mondelez’s Lacta, a chocolate brand that for years has been telling love stories in the form of Branded Entertainment, with films that were popular and won multiple awards at Cannes Lions, chose to produce a short film that shows what a love story is not.
Created by Ogilvy Greece, the 4-minute film titled “Don’t Ever Leave Me”, directed by acclaimed Greek director Argyris Papadimitropoulos (Suntan, Monday), stars two young actors in what appears to begin as a cliché love story, set under the Greek summer sun. Soon, however, the story takes a darker turn, and viewers get to experience the manipulative ways women are being trapped in toxic relationships.
After a tragic finale, the film ends with a warning to women to be on the lookout for the telling signs of psychological and physical abuse, providing further information in cooperation with “Diotima,” an NGO devoted to Gender Rights and Equality.
The film was released ahead of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Thursday, November 25.
