BY RANIA RICHARDSON | On May 5, Governor Andrew Cuomo launched the “Wear A Mask New York Ad Contest” to communicate the importance of wearing a face mask to help stop the spread of COVID-19. New Yorkers submitted more than 600 30-second videos, in hopes of becoming part of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign during the pandemic.

The Governor’s daughter, Mariah Kennedy Cuomo, led the process, and worked with the New York State Department of Health to select five finalists to be voted on by the public. On May 26, “We Love NY” was announced as the top contender.

Bunny Lake Films, a boutique production company based in Brooklyn, teamed with directors Celine Danhier and Aliya Naumoff, and animator Mike Perry (Broad City), to create the winning video, which can be viewed by clicking here.

With a heart icon replacing the word “Love” in the title, the new video’s theme echoes/invokes Milton Glaser’s “I Love NY” slogan, created to help New York rebound after hard times in the late 1970s.

In an email exchange, Chelsea Community News discussed “We Love NY” with Danhier.

Rania Richardson: What have you been up to since we last spoke in 2009?

Celine Danhier: I can’t believe it’s been so long. You initially interviewed me after the Tribeca Film Festival screening of a rough cut of the documentary I directed, Blank City. The documentary was officially released in 2011. Since then, I co-founded a female-founded production company called Bunny Lake Films. We have been producing documentaries, developing other film projects, and creating branded content. I’ve been directing a lot of content for brands such as Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, and MAC Cosmetics.

Richardson: What was your experience with the pandemic shutdown?

Danhier: The first weeks were extremely challenging. We were headed into the unknown and it was pretty hard to be creative or inspired with what was unfolding in front of us. We were all touched individually or by those close to us who were affected by COVID-19 or unemployment.

When we decided to do the PSA, it was soon after we saw the flattening of the curve in New York State. It felt like after so much despair, there was some optimism peeking over the horizon.

Richardson: What was your inspiration for the PSA?

Danhier: As an immigrant from France, I’m always inspired by the city’s feeling of momentum, creativity, diversity, and acceptance.

One of the lines in our video is, “I wear a mask for you, you wear a mask for me.” Everybody needs to help each other by wearing a mask so we can get back to the New York we all love. It’s been incredibly hard to see our friends and crew in New York struggling without jobs and finding difficulties in getting unemployment benefits because of the overload of claims. We want New York to get back to work—safely, so we can stay open.

Richardson: Tell me about the filmmaking process for the project.

Danhier: The concept evolved quickly into a treatment and script as we only had 10 days to create the video after the contest was announced. We reached out to our community of friends and artists we knew to find collaborators.

At Bunny Lake, we always strive to have diversity behind the camera, and in front of the camera in terms of casting and locations.

To capture New York in an authentic way, we shot in three boroughs, filmed over 100 people, and recorded over 50 voices. We also tried to capture other parts of New York State in the use of our photographs and quarantine footage.

Filming was a more unique challenge than I had ever experienced before.

We all practiced social distancing techniques, wore masks and gloves, and followed other CDC and state recommended guidelines. We kept a minimal crew size, and were able to shoot a video safely.

We edited the video remotely which was challenging and also added extra time during a very tight deadline. Our editor emailed us edits, or we shared a screen on Zoom.

Everybody who worked on this PSA volunteered their time and worked for free.

Richardson: I noticed that you include a lot of action shots. Can you elaborate?

Danhier: We wanted to create movement on camera and with the camera itself. New York is the city that never sleeps and the movements and actions were very important to show. We also need to wear a mask in public, no matter what activities we are doing.

Also, we wanted to capture important moments that resonate with the entire state and not just the city. Including a runner for the video was something we decided at the outset, since that’s an activity that can be done everywhere. Additionally, we wanted to share a 7pm clap for essential workers. This was to thank essential workers all over New York, and it really echoes that sense of community as we all come together in appreciation.

Richardson: How did you find out that you were the first place winner?

Danhier: We all watched Governor Cuomo’s daily press briefing. When his daughter, Mariah Kennedy Cuomo, announced the name of our PSA and said Bunny Lake Films won, I was bombarded by calls and emails from friends and family. It was such an uplifting moment during this very dark time. It was also incredible that over 186,000 people voted for the PSA contest.

The success of the moment was short lived because the day before the announcement, George Floyd was murdered. The news cycle moves quickly, but I think the Black Lives Matter protests—many of which I’ve participated in—have seen many successes all over the US, as new police reform bills have passed or have been introduced. I’ve seen that the vast majority of protesters are wearing masks, which I’d like to think I had a small part in motivating.

Richardson: How has the reception to the PSA been?

Danhier: The reception was incredible. We heard that Hugh Jackman even posted the video on his social media. Many other celebrities shared the video, including Rachel Brosnahan, Zac Posen, Jena Malone, and Karen O. There’s also been a billboard near Central Park that includes an image from our video.

Richardson: What kind of mask do you wear?

Danhier: I own several masks. Wearing a mask is part of our daily life now and I like to think that they are part of my outfit, so I’m always switching them up.

Note: Parts of this interview have been edited for length, and rearranged for clarity.

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