Watch: Dustin Lance Black directs beautiful short film about gay teen
Dustin Lance Black has directed a heartwarming short for Coca-Cola, featuring a closeted gay teen.
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The short, which is part of the company’s ‘Crossroads’ campaign in Latin America, sees a young boy face a decision when he discovers that his best friend is gay.
It is directed by Oscar-winning ‘Milk’ screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who is currently dating Olympic diver Tom Daley.
The short is the latest pro-gay PR move by the company, which is attempting to repair its relationship with the LGBT community.
Coca-Cola faced protests and boycotts last year when it failed to speak out against Russia’s anti-gay laws while sponsoring the Sochi Winter Olympics.
The company faced pressure to condemn the country’s oppression of LGBT people as one of the event’s main sponsors, but failed to do so.
Coke brushed off concerns at the time, responding: “In the spirit of the Olympic Charter we believe the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has taken seriously the human rights concerns you have raised and followed up on them with a strong sense of urgency.
“As part of our long-term partnership with the IOC, we continually engage with them on various issues, including those that you have raised, that relate specifically to the Olympic Games. We plan to continue these discussions.”
Coke previously featured a gay couple briefly in a TV advert – but the pair were edited out of the ad in more conservative countries, including Ireland.
