Title: 7 Billionth Baby
Duration: 2:03 minutes
7 Billionth Baby Film Transcript
[Background music plays]
Bright, uplifting music
[Female Narrator]
Like many four-year-olds, Dhanica likes to watch YouTube. Unlike most, though, she’s watching
herself, because four years ago, when she was born, she was chosen by the UN to be the symbol of
population growth.
[Video footage]
Posed photo of a smiling Dhanica.
Still of Dhanica and a little girl of about her age sitting on a bed, looking at a tablet device on
Dhanica’s lap.
Video of Dhanica and her friend looking at the tablet device.
Dhanica and her mother seated on the edge of their couch at the small desk which holds a
computer. Dhanica stands up, continuing to look at the computer screen.
Close-up of head and shoulders of a more serious Dhanica. She is looking sideways at the computer
screen.
View of a browser open to show a video on YouTube. The video has the title ‘’Philippines welcomes
symbolic ‘7 billionth baby’’’. The onscreen YouTube video changes to show a newborn infant on an
examination table, a nurse and camera crew surrounding her. A camera crew in white lab coats is
filming something off-screen.
[Female Narrator]
She’s the world’s 7 Billionth Baby.
[Video footage]
Close-up of a newspaper clipping. It bears the headline: Philippines welcomes 7 billionth baby
Danica.
A smiling Dhanica, proudly holding up the newspaper clipping.
[Female Narrator]
She was born in poverty, in the overcrowded metropolis of Manila, one of the many millions across
Asia and around the world.
[Video footage]
Camera pans across rooftops of a slum.
Crowded slum street.
A little girl climbs a tree growing on the side of the crowded street in the slum.
[Female Narrator]
Since then she and her family have moved out to spare her the pollution of the big city.
[Video footage]
Rooftop view of a section of crowded street in the slum.
View into a home in the slums as seen through a glassless window. Large cloths which act as screens
are drawn aside.
[Dhanica’s Mother]
Dhanica cannot be exposed to smoke and pollution, because she gets sick easily.
[Female Narrator]
But things have not necessarily improved. The neighbourhood is friendly, but their home is basic.
[Video footage]
Rain pouring down and running off a corrugated tin roof.
View from inside a home; rain drips through countless holes in the corrugated tin roof.
Indoors, looking upward at the exposed corrugated tin roof.
Interior of a very cramped and modest home.
[Female Narrator]
The family only use a few appliances, but there is little money left when they’ve bought food and
paid their electricity bill.
[Video footage]
Verandah in front of Dhanica’s home. Empty clothes hangers hang from a line strung high across the
verandah.
A bright, bare light hangs from the rafters of the corrugated tin roof.
Dhanica and her mother at the computer.
Dhanica points at the monitor.
[Female Narrator]
Children from all over the globe write to the 7 Billionth Baby, but her fame now doesn’t mean her
future is secure.
[Video footage]
Letters, many with maple leaves stuck on them, addressed to Dhanica.
Dhanica holding in each hand a large photo print of the pile of letters.
A close-up of a letter to Dhanica. It reads: ‘’Dear Dhanica. We are a fifth grade class from Bremen
(North Germany) and we would like to welcome you as the 7,000,000,000th member of our society.
In the envelope you will find some pictures we made for you and your family. Each maple leaf has its
own personal wishes for you and yours.’’
Close-up of the letter in Dhanica’s mother’s hands.
[Dhanica’s Mother]
As parents, we hope that we’ll be able to provide for her needs and I hope she can someday lift us
out of poverty.
[Video footage]
Dhanica and her mother seated on a couch, looking at a photo album together. Dhanica points and
exclaims at certain photos.
Camera viewpoint shifts and shows view from above.
Close-up of a page in the album showing scenes from Dhanica’s birth.
[Female Narrator]
Millions like Dhanica will all put increasing pressure on energy production.
So how to generate the electricity they’ll need without adding to pollution and climate change?
The solutions won’t be easy, but together, we must find them, and soon, so that all the babies
beyond 7 billion have a brighter future.
[Video footage]
Still of three little girls smiling broadly at the camera. One of the girls shows the peace sign. The slum
is visible behind them.
Posed still of a mother and her infant in the slum.
Still of a street in the slum.
Still of a scene across rooftops in the slum.
Night-time scene, taken from ground level, of a busy street. Car and motorcycle headlights zoom by.
Night-time scene of pedestrians walking along a fairly busy city street.
Night-time scene of cars and cyclists on a busy city road.
Night-time scene of a city apartment or office block. Many lights are on.
Night-time scene of brightly-lit skyscrapers on a city skyline.
Night-time scene of a brightly-lit city apartment or office block.
Looking up at a bright neon sign in red, blue and green.
Night-time scene of a brightly-lit city skyline across a large body of water.
[Graphics]
Shell logo on white background.
[Music ends]
[Text displays]
Future of Energy
http://www.Shell.com/global/future-energy.html