Child marriage: How Animation protects the girls it speaks for

THE BRIEF

In South Sudan, more than 52% of girls are married before they turn 18.

When UNICEF South Sudan approached Rooftop, the challenge was both creative and ethical: how do you bring these stories into the world with the full weight of their truth, without exposing the women at their centre to further risk?

THE CREATIVE

Using animation allowed us to tell incredibly emotive stories while protecting the identities of the women we interviewed. Rooftop developed two films, each taking a distinct approach to the same devastating reality. Mary’s Story follows a young girl forced into marriage at 13, blending traditional and digital 2D animation with a moving soundtrack. The film was delivered in just 25 days. Stolen took a bolder risk: no dialogue, no voiceover, only imagery and sound carrying the story of a girl abducted and forced into marriage. Using 3D animation and motion capture to achieve lifelike movement, the film conveys fear and loss in a way that transcends language entirely. Both films were part of a comprehensive campaign with enough range to reach communities within South Sudan and global policymakers alike.

THE FILMS

THE IMPACT

The campaign launched on World Children’s Day and has since been distributed nationally and internationally. UNICEF reports the films are sparking genuine conversations about the social norms that sustain child marriage in communities, among stakeholders, and across the networks where change is built.

THE AWARD

THE DETAILS