Fred Gets Nasty

By Lauren Shipman / January 11th, 2012 in Film / Brussels / 265 views

Let’s get something straight from the get go: abusive relationships suck. We all know that, right? And, just to be sure, we’re all smart enough not to get ourselves into one, right? Erm, contrary to popular wishful thinking, the last assumption is more than a little bit wrong. Bonjour Inc, the creative advertising agency behind FRED et Marie would like you, us, and the whole wide world full of romantically-blinded folks silently hoping that that no one out there, including ourselves, is actually living in a relationship filled with psychological or physical abuse, to wake up from our Jane Austen-induced slumber and smell the proverbial roses.

Sponsored by Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, this quietly harrowing fly on the wall short film tells the story of a gorgeous, pale-faced young woman called Marie and her psychologically abusive husband Fred. Basically, the crux of the matter is that Fred is a bastard and Marie needs to leave. This is where the phrases like ‘Easier said than done’ start flying around the room—but that’s another story.

Created with the intention of raising awareness surrounding psychological abuse as well as to highlight just how common the situation actually is, the film also spells the start of a new wave advertising format, where we get advertised to without having huge advertising campaign flags waved in our faces. And, in the case of FRED et Marie, the format seems to have worked. Not only does the film shoot a great big hole in the pie in the sky perfect world ideology, the key points sink in and we are left with nothing but a black and white reality check explaining that for one out of eight couples the film is not a fiction.