Richard E Grant gets serious in hard-hitting Oxfam ad

by Claire Billings,, Brand Republic 03-Sep-03, 08:30

LONDON - Richard E Grant, the star of cult movie 'Withnail and I', is to appear in a hard-hitting Fair Trade cinema ad for Oxfam, which highlights the severe implications that irresponsible actions of western countries are having on poverty-stricken Africa.

The one-minute ad shows Grant at an African dairy farm, which has been established following aid from western countries.

Grant explains that all the farmer's hard work is almost pointless because the EU dumps tons of surplus powdered milk on Africa each year, leaving farmers with no one to sell their produce to.

The ads show the farmer milking his cow and the bucket filling up. "We're giving with one hand and taking away with the other," Grant says before dramatically kicking the bucket away to demonstrate the devastating effect the West's actions are having on the Third World.

According to Oxfam, for every $1 in aid that is contributed to poor countries, $2 is taken away through unfair trade.

Inspired by an original script by 'Bridget Jones' author Helen Fielding, the one-minute ads were directed by Paul Weiland, whose credits include the film 'Roseanna's Grave' featuring Jean Reno, 'Blackadder Back and Forth' and the original TV series of 'Mr Bean'.

Grant is famous for many comedy roles, including his cult performance as Withnail in 'Withnail and I', in which he starred alongside Paul McGann. Grant has also appeared as Denis Dimbleby Bagley in 'How to Get Ahead in Advertising'.

One of Grant's motivations for doing the ad was that he was born and grew up in Swaziland.

"Born and bred in Africa, I have a lifelong obsession and passion for the continent and its people. Anything that I can do to help alleviate the suffering and injustice there is a way for me to give something back to a place that has given me so much. Africa has incredible potential -- Africans just need a fair chance to make that potential work for them. Without a change in the world trade rules, they wouldn't get that chance," he said.

The ad ends with the farmer bashing together two metal buckets to a create a noise, while a voiceover urges viewers to join in the Big Noise, Oxfam's global petition to make trade fair.

So far more than 3m people across the world have signed the petition including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama and rock star Bono.

Make Trade Fair aims to change the rules of world trade so that they benefit the world's poorest people.

The actors, director and crew from the Paul Weiland Film Company gave their time and skills for free to produce the one-minute commercial.

"For us, the ad is a way of using our skills and talents to make a difference. I admire Oxfam because it is trying to change government and international policies and that is how we will have the biggest impact and make a real difference to the lives of millions of the world's poorest people," Weiland said.

The release of the ad is timed to put pressure on governments to end unfair trade at the meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Mexico which starts on September 10.

To add your voice to the Big Noise petition, click here.

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