Pink Shirt Day 2025

Three video portraits for Aotearoa's national anti-bullying campaign. Each film features someone sharing a real story about the Upstander who made a difference in their life. The person who spoke up, stood alongside them, or simply showed kindness when it mattered most.

Pink Shirt Day began in Canada in 2007 when two students stood up for a classmate who was bullied for wearing pink. Today it's a nationwide movement in New Zealand with a strong focus on reducing homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

The project

Pink Shirt Day is run by the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand each year in May. The 2025 campaign theme was Upstanders, people who take action when they see bullying happening. The brief called for heartfelt stories that would inspire others to speak up and stand together.

Each contributor was pre-interviewed to develop a loose script before the shoot. On the day, direction was kept gentle and conversational. The goal was to create space for people to share difficult experiences without feeling pressured or performed.

The films prioritise voices from communities most affected by bullying in Aotearoa. Māori, Pasifika, and LGBTQIA+ rangatahi. Each story shows how one person's decision to be an Upstander can change someone's life.

Credits

• DOP — Diego Opatowski
• Director — Tom Groenewegen
• Second Camera — Grant Ballot
• Photographer — Fiona Goodall
• Client — Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
• Three stories for national TV and social media campaign