The film is a mash-up video, combining short fragments of speeches by current and recent dictators such as Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-Un, Recep Erdogan, Bashar Al-Assad, Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein and more.

The video opens on a series of dictators entering the scene and preparing for an important speech. From then on, they “sing” Happy Birthday: short bursts of actual video footage are combined to recreate the iconic song.

Together, the dictators sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Reporters Without Borders Belgium to mark their 20th anniversary. After all, they are the reason Reporters Without Borders exists: to fight for press freedom.

After the requisite ‘hip hip hooray’, the film closes on a simple super that brings the message home:

One day, we hope to stop celebrating our birthday.

One day, Reporters Without Borders hopes to stop existing altogether. In a world where dictators no longer rule, and censorship no longer exists.

With the Internet being an important battleground for freedom of speech, and a growing cultural interest in mash-up videos on social media, Facebook was the perfect channel to spread birthday wishes for Reporters Without Borders Belgium. The video was posted on their official Facebook page where the message spread through supporters and communities.

By asking the public and press to help spread their Happy Birthday wishes, Reporters Without Borders Belgium hopes to continue the fight for press freedom. Until they no longer have to.

With over 850.000 views worldwide and almost 7.000 shares on Facebook, the video started a real conversation about freedom of speech.

Not just in Belgium, but all over the world. Most importantly: Press Freedom was a hot topic once more.