A new video advertisement from Kodak is shedding light on an all too familiar struggle for young gay children — and by the end you just may need a few tissues.
On December 19, Kodak released a video short called Understanding, a three-minute ad promoting a camera and film for the company. The ad begins with a high school baseball player finishing practice and bringing his friend home. The mother and father welcome the teenagers home, but later the boys are caught kissing in the bedroom. From there, the relationship between the wheelchair-bound father and his gay son seems tense, as the camera cuts between shots of awkward silences and the teen’s anger and frustration.
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But when the birthday for the gay son comes around, there’s a surprise present that leaves him – and the viewer – moved to tears. Watch:
The heartwarming video was shared to the Kodak Motion Picture Film YouTube page and directed by Terry Rayment and “poignantly depicts the transformational power of love and happiness,” according to Kodak. Cinematographer Kate Arizmendi “captured all of the emotions beautifully” on Kodak’s Vision3 500T 5219 film.
Coming out for a teenager is often one of, if not the, most difficult thing a child can do. It can be an emotional adjustment for both the child and the parents, says John Sovec, an LGTB therapist on the Huffington Post.
“It is a time of high emotions that can run the gamut from confusion, shock, disbelief, rejection and anger, to acceptance, peace, understanding and concern. It is important at this potentially fragile time for both you and your teen to be kind to each other and create room for this new information and identity to be processed.”
Kodak’s short film reveals that with just a little bit of understanding and reflection, the love of one father for his son will never falter.
