Michelle Cassis

chilean, curious, film director, person. 🎬💜💚

[Michelle Cassis @michicassis]

Here’s my latest work for @IKEA : “Proudly Second Best”.

Super grateful to everyone at Ikea, @weareDAVIDmad and @INGO_hamburg_ for inviting me to collaborate and film this beautiful idea!

#ikea #creativity #film #craft #adsoftheworld #ikeauae

[Michelle Cassis @michicassis]

@ElizabethHolmes https://t.co/WEhDR9Ij0w

[Michelle Cassis @michicassis]

Let's walk together today, so no one fears walking alone tomorrow.
The Walk – My latest short film for #InternationalWomensDay, teaming up with @StrutSafe to raise awareness about basic rights that still feel out of reach. #WomensDay #IWD2025
https://t.co/pNkT5aEKtd

[Michelle Cassis @michicassis]

It is astounding to me that this woman can say all these things, they can literally build houses in Gaza, but chanting “From the river to the sea” is genocidal! Not astounding but OUTRAGEOUS!

[Censored Men @CensoredMen]

🇵🇸🇮🇱 Israeli settlers snuck into Gaza yesterday and built two wooden structures to symbolize Israeli homes.

You may need to read the subtitles because her Israeli accent is sooooo strong.

[Rob @robrousseau]

I'm probably going to be thinking about just the audio of Aaron Bushnell's self-immolation for the rest of my life

[Assal Rad @AssalRad]

Why did he do it?

Four major news outlets have almost the exact same headline for the self-immolation of 25-year old Aaron Bushnell. Not one of them mentions the words “Gaza” or “genocide,” the reason for Aaron’s protest, or the word “Palestine,” his last words spoken.

[Caitlin Johnstone @caitoz]

Aaron Bushnell Burned Himself Alive To Make You Turn Your Eyes To Gaza

I watched the uncensored video of US airman Aaron Bushnell self-immolating in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington while screaming “Free Palestine”. I hesitated to watch it because I knew once I put it into my mind it’s there for the rest of my life, but I figured I owe him that much.

I feel like I’ve been picked up and shaken, which I suppose was pretty much what Bushnell was going for. Something to shake the world awake to the reality of what’s happening. Something to snap us out of the brainwashed and distracted stupor of western dystopia and turn our gaze to Gaza.

The sounds stay with you more than the sights. The sound of his gentle, youthful, Michael Cera-like voice as he walked toward the embassy. The sound of the round metal container he stored the accelerant in getting louder as it rolls toward the camera. The sound of Bushnell saying “Free Palestine”, then screaming it, then switching to wordless screams when the pain became too overwhelming, then forcing out one more “Free Palestine” before losing his words for good. The sound of the cop screaming at him to get on the ground over and over again. The sound of a first responder telling police to stop pointing guns at Bushnell’s burning body and go get fire extinguishers.

He remained standing for an unbelievable amount of time while he was burning. I don’t know where he got the strength to do it. He remained standing long after he’d stopped vocalizing.

Bushnell was taken to the hospital, where independent reporter Talia Jane reports that he has died. It was about as horrific a death as a human being can experience, and it was designed to be.

Shortly before his final act in this world, Bushnell posted the following message on Facebook:

“Many of us like to ask ourselves, ‘What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?’

“The answer is, you’re doing it. Right now.”

Aaron Bushnell has provided his own answer to this challenge. We’re all providing our own right now.

I would never do what Bushnell did, and I would never recommend anyone else does either. That said, I also can’t deny that his action is having its intended effect: drawing attention to the horrors that are happening in Gaza.

I know this is true because everywhere I see Aaron Bushnell being discussed online I see a massive deluge of pro-Israel trolls frantically swarming the comments in a mad rush to manipulate the narrative. They all understand how destructive it is to US and Israeli information interests for people to be seeing an international news story about a member of the US Air Force self-immolating on camera while screaming “Free Palestine”, and they are doing everything they can to mitigate that damage.

As I write this, there are with absolute certainty people digging through Bushnell’s history searching for dirt that can be spun as evidence that he was a bad person, that he was mentally ill, that he was steered astray by pro-Palestine activists and dissident media — whatever they can make stick. If they find something, literally anything, the smearmeisters and propagandists will run with it as far as they can.

That’s what they’re choosing to do at this point in history. That’s what they would have done during slavery, or the Jim Crow south, or apartheid. That’s what they’re doing while their country commits genocide right now. People are showing what they would have done with their response to Gaza, and they’re showing what they would have done with their response to the self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell.

I’m not going to link to the video here; watching it is a personal decision on which you should probably do your own legwork to make sure it’s really what you want. Whether you watch it or not, it happened, just like the incineration of Gaza is happening right now. We each own our personal response to that reality. This is who we are.

[Michelle Cassis @michicassis]

@angeloinchina Brave Aron, the pain is real. This video recked my body and soul as much as what happening to the Palestinians, which is exactly the reason that he did it.
Rest in peace, Aron. You are so braved and loved.

[Michelle Cassis @michicassis]

@inaki_ys Es el efecto mandela de los chilenos!

[Michelle Cassis @michicassis]

@thejstoobs I love the podcast!
Just wanted to say that the last episode’s mix was a bit off. Your voice was lower volume than the other cohosts and I had to constantly adjust the volume throughout the episode so my ears didn’t hurt. 😅
Just a friendly feedback!
Can’t wait for next episode!

[Michelle Cassis @michicassis]

Nice one!! @AurusOfficial @authic_io 🙌🏼⭐️

[shots.net @shotscreative]

GOLD Winner for Ad of the Year: Concept (Up to and including two minutes) @IKEA Proudly Second Best @weareDAVIDmad @INGO_hamburg_ #SalGordaProductions #SauloRocha #DavidKrueger #shotsawards
https://t.co/end0TgMcAW

[Diego 🌿 @DiegoRBCA]

Muy grande Lola Índigo, ayer por la noche, apoyando a Jenni Hermoso y a las campeonas del mundo.

#SeAcabó

[ADWEEK @Adweek]

"“It’s subtle, it’s heartwarming, it’s humble and it’s honest. And its strength comes from connecting with such a human part of us, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a parent or not,” said Saulo Rocha's David Madrid. https://t.co/rugbC7YFsE

[Nathalie Vincent @awlilnatty]

Ikea’s celebration of being the second-best place in a household, has to be one of the most original insights I’ve seen executed in years.

[Ad Age Creativity @creativitymag]

Ikea products are ‘proudly second best’ in charmingly subtle ads about parenthood: https://t.co/1OmcOA1y2O

[Ad Age @adage]

Companies may flatter themselves that they’re the hero in their brand story, but in most persuasive advertising, the customer is the hero. That’s certainly true in this Ikea campaign. https://t.co/YzhuHIjllq

[Ogilvy @Ogilvy]

Cribs, stools, & highchairs are great, but they don’t compare to Mom and Dad.

IKEA takes pride in being the 'second best' with a charming campaign collaboration between @WeareDAVIDmad & INGO Hamburg.

More about @AdAge's Editor's Pick: https://t.co/cjYjA0ZCqA