In a new video, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are coming to you live from 2055 (gray hair, wrinkles, and all) to deliver an urgent message about voting. Sound like sci-fi? It is — sort of.
The video, called Transmissions from the Future, offers viewers a peek into a terrifying landscape: The For the People Act has failed, and democracy as we know it is kaput. Non-partisan voter advocacy organization RepresentUs created the mini-film in support of the Act currently stalled in the Senate.
Curious? Watch it for yourself:
This ominous future is looking less and less farfetched: Since March, 389 bills to restrict voting freedoms have been introduced in 48 states. RepresentUs is drumming up support for the passage of the For the People Act, which is slated for a Senate vote next week. (It also promises to end gerrymandering and rein in super PACs.)
We asked the director Jake Kasdan (Jumanji) to tell us more about this film’s ultra-urgent message — and how it came to be:
What’s the genesis of this project?
My involvement began after I heard Senator Warnock speak on the subject of voting rights at a virtual event held by RepresentUs, just after the really devastating voter suppression laws passed in Georgia. He talked about the hundreds of similar laws that are passing in states around the country. And he spoke about the For the People Act, which is our best way to protect against this widespread attack on voting rights. It made a real impression and I volunteered to help out, in any way I could. A couple of weeks later, RepresentUs proposed the very bold idea for this piece with Katy and Orlando, and I eagerly jumped in to direct it.
Whose vision was this creatively?
The original idea came from the cool creative agency Oxcart Assembly. One of its co-founders, Tony Gardner, is a brilliant prosthetics and makeup effects artist and had worked with Katy several times before on transformative makeups, so they really knew each other and have this great collaborative history. Everyone donated their time and we pulled together an amazing group — from makeup to music to design — to do this.
What are you trying to get across?
The urgency of action and the high stakes of inaction. Like many people, over the last six months, I’ve been shocked and alarmed to see that American democracy is a lot more fragile than I’d realized. It’s easy to tune out in the year after an election — I’ve certainly been guilty of that in the past — but we can’t sleep on what’s happening in all of these state legislatures as they make this concerted effort to limit access to voting. And when I read this piece, I felt like it really conveyed that urgency in a very vivid way.
What were Katy and Orlando like to work with?
They were a total pleasure to work with, fantastic partners and I’m grateful to them for doing it.
It’s very “out there” for a political message. Do you think its unique look and message will get people talking?
We really hope so. We need people to take notice, as this critical bill goes to vote in the Senate. Time is running out. This bill is how we can push back against all of these very damaging state laws. This needs to be something that everyone is talking about.
Social media can be tough. Are you worried it will be “dragged,” as they say?
It can be rough out there, of course — but the consequences of not passing the For the People Act are far worse than the reaction of some people who might not like a video. If this video gets more people talking about this, that would be great.
What can people do if they’re motivated by this to get involved?
There are many ways to get loud and involved, including sharing on social media, but the most effective way is still picking up the phone and calling your senator to ensure they vote yes on this bill. We must let Congress know that we’re watching and we want them to stand up and protect the right to vote and our democracy, regardless of party.
