THE ICC
Art Direction / Motion Design
Producer: Agence France-Presse (In-house)
Journalists: Emmanuelle Michelle - Jonathan Walter
Established in 2002 in The Hague, Netherlands, ICC’s mission is to investigate and bring to trial individuals charged with the gravest crimes when the countries involved did not have the commitment or capacity to bring them to justice themselves. This short animation film for the AFP, one of world’s largest news wire agencies, aims to clarify ICC’s general functioning and is intended for use by its various clients.
The animated format was chosen to represent abstract concepts, evokes scenes that would be unbearable otherwise, and makes statistics and numbers more relatable. Given the gravity of the crimes judged by the ICC, the video used a contrasting aesthetic, and a technique where frame-by-frame sequences alternate with the fluidity of keyframe animations. These artistic choices aim to juxtapose the severity of the subject matter with an element of delicacy and poetry, conveying its complexity without resorting to sensationalism.
Particular attention was put into the character design, as the subject is political and centered on an institution and people legislating war. Therefore, humanity is the primary focus. Each character performs a recognizable function — aggressors, judges, civilians — without being identifiable individuals. Symbolism and metaphor play a crucial role. They are deliberately devoid of distinct features such as face, gender, age, or ethnicity, serving as blank slates onto which audiences can project their empathy. The depicted scenes are illustrated minimally or metaphorically.
