Acasă Regăsit: A campaign that reunites souls
There are hundreds of CSR campaigns out in the world but to us, few resonate as deeply as Acasă Regăsit. A social initiative launched by Vola.ro and supported by The Social Incubator, Acasă Regăsit is an extraordinary project that raises awareness on the struggles of children who have parents working abroad but also aims to reunite families by offering free plane tickets to and from Romania.
The campaign started as a response to heartbreaking statistics and current economic migration. Over 75.000 Romanian children are left in their grandparents’ care as their parents are working abroad, trying to secure a better life for their family. While parents are saving money and are unable to visit their kids as often as they would like, sons and daughters have to learn to grow up in their absence and overcome the emotional impact these particular circumstances involve.
For this reason, Vola and The Social Incubator have joined hands to set up a donation and sponsorship program, offer specialized assistance and actively contribute in supplying both parents and children with flight tickets. Moreover, a special caravan has been commissioned to visit the more unfortunate areas of the country and meet children and family members who are left behind for a better tomorrow.
Caravana Acasă Regăsit – a medium to reflect and reconnect
We, at Balistika, believe in the power of video especially when used to do good which is why taking part in this project was a no-brainer for us. As soon as we said yes to the project, we sent our filming crew to join the Acasă Regăsit Caravan throughout 4 days of visiting villages, schools and reached out to people willing to share their stories with us.
On our journey, we joined Elena Marin (Vola.ro), Diana Avram (The Social Incubator), Olivia Comorașu (The Social Incubator), Medeea Catana (The Social Incubator), Bogdan Dinca (Photographer) and Dușmanu Gabriel (Driver). Some of the locations we stopped in were Pufești, Corbasca (Scărișoara), Podu Turcului, Luizi-Călugara, Buhuși. And we caught “on tape” emotional moments. We cried, laughed and stood in awe at the sight of countless children dealing with similarly heartbreaking situations. Even behind the camera, it was inspiring to see the strength and courage of children and teenagers who are forced to grow up too fast and face the world on such grim terms. The team listened to their stories and documented their difficulties. They gathered all the info needed to devise the best possible strategy for helping them reunite with their families. Sweets and other supplies were brought over and promises that will be kept were made. And last but not least, plane tickets were reserved.
A video documentary is challenging from various points of view. Apart from ensuring you have the right lighting, a clear sound and a crisp image, you need to prioritize catching emotion on camera. A documentary focuses on showcasing reality; people don’t have scripts and it’s the filming crew’s job to portray issues as accurately as possible.
Moreover, there is limited access to what and who you can film and cooperation concerns that need to be addressed beforehand. You need to request permission from participants and institutions before you film and make sure you don’t portray people in a negative light, ensuring that your documentary accurately represents your CSR initiative.
Another important matter your filming crew has to consider is filming strategic shots in order to put together an accessible view of the CSR project. Usually, these types of topics can be challenging when expanded to the public and you must maintain a balance between oversimplifying or exaggerating the topic.
Addressing these particular challenges can be difficult if you lack experience in putting together a documentary because this type of work goes beyond b-rolls, generic videos, basic ads or even storytelling. By working with the Acasă Regăsit Caravan, we realized that our final result would impact lives, build trust and hopefully, set an example for other companies to continue this inspiring work. Genuine commitment and a true desire to aid others is what helps your company grow and stay connected to the real world while maintaining relevance and contributing to positive changes in society.
