What did students do after school to address the issues of intimidation and peer pressure towards adult smokers? Evil Nicotine is a short film that shows young people standing up to the dangers of second-hand smoke.
According to the CDC, there were about 7 million (or 25%) of middle and high school students exposed to secondhand smoke in 2019. There were over 6 million (or about 23%) of children reported to have gotten secondhand smoke after breathing it in vehicles. Children or teens can still be exposed to secondhand smoke in any setting, leading to multiple health problems.
Directed by Lisa May Thomas and produced by Jo Rhodes, Evil Nicotine was curated for the Planet Classroom Network by Challenge 59 based in the UK.
Rhodes is an artistic director and producer, and has been a teacher for over 15 years. She is also the Founder of Challenge 59.
Shot with only close-ups and a couple of wide shots, Evil Nicotine doesn’t use any dialogue to make its point. Instead, the story is told through the expressions of children. It makes the audience question what just happened and this in turn motivates you to go back and watch it again.
The music also reels you in right from the start because it opens up so abruptly and keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next.
My favorite visual sequence in this film was the close-up of a young girl determined to stop this from happening. You see the adult walk in the shadows and then cut to a wide shot of them running away, in turn showing the audience that the girl was successful.
The filmmakers utilize color in this film in an interesting way. I believe the students wear red because it shows that they have the courage to fight against the problem they face. On the other hand, I believe that white emphasizes that the smokers are unaware of the damaging effects of their habit.
Evil Nicotine resonates with me and drives home that smoking is still a critical issue in our society, especially on school campuses, where it’s hard to avoid. The cinematography in the film reinforces the theme using the close-ups to express the impact it has on youth. It expresses a critical problem and shows us just how simple the solution is. I would give this short film 5 out of 5.
John Conlow is a communication major with a focus in media production at William Paterson University. He minors in journalism and public relations. He is the president of the on-campus chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, Managing Editor of the school newspaper: The Beacon, and the PR Officer for WPTV. He graduates Spring 2021.
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