The five-minute holiday film, directed and scored by Academy Award winners Tom Hooper and Alexandre Desplat follows Solo—a real boy with cerebral palsy–to celebrate imagination, brotherhood and the unseen wonders within us. Solo’s adventure, powered by his eyes, his art and groundbreaking eye tracking technology, brings him closer to his younger brother, turning him into the superhero he’s meant to be. This captivating film showcases the life-altering impact of eye tracking technology - pioneered by NY non-profit MontefioreEinstein, is a beacon of hope for the 50 million people worldwide who face challenges with their ability to speak or move voluntarily.

Millions of people who are unable to move and speak were long thought to be lacking cognitive ability. Bronx-based non-profit hospital Montefiore Einstein partnered with leading technology companies and pioneered the use of eye tracking to give kids like Solo a voice and prove that they have rich inner worlds.

The holidays are a time to connect, a time of celebration for all, yet so many are not represented in the holiday stories we tell. So we told a different kind of holiday story — Solomon’s story.

Solo is seven years old and has cerebral palsy. He can’t move or speak and uses eye tracking–a technology that allows him to express himself using only his eyes. The five-minute holiday film, directed and scored by Academy Award winners Tom Hooper and Alexandre Desplat, follows Solo as he embarks on a magical journey above New York City, powered by his imagination. It’s a story of brotherhood and the unseen wonders within us.

The film was viewed over 10 million times in New York alone, and brought joy and compassion to the holidays. Through Solo, we celebrated millions of people with disabilities. They felt seen, and responded. The hashtag #representationmatters trended, shared by countless advocates for disability inclusion. They spread the word about eye tracking and inspired others. The film got an unheard of 98% positive sentiment and was a top 3 viewed holiday ad on YouTube and voted Adage Best Ads of 2023.

In "There's Magic in All of Us" for Montefiore Einstein, Oscar-winning filmmaker Tom Hooper brings his masterful storytelling and emotional touch as he taps into the essence of the holiday spirit, brotherhood and the unseen wonders within us. The film stars a real boy with cerebral palsy, whose life transforms with the help of eye-tracking technology, as he embarks on a magical journey above New York City with his brother. Representing underrepresented groups on screen mattered deeply to everyone involved with the project - we felt it was crucial to cast a real child with a disability, not an actor. The film balances showcasing eye-tracking technology with a magical dream sequence, underscored by Alexandre Desplat's emotionally resonant music, highlighting the transformative power of art and technology.

People with a neurological condition that leaves them incapable of speech and voluntary movement were long thought to be lacking in cognitive ability. At Montefiore Einstein, neurologists pioneered the use of eye tracking technology to transform communication with these patients and prove that they have rich inner worlds. About 50 million people worldwide face these challenges but only 2% have access to modern communication aids.

Our brief focused on life-changing eye tracking technology and the power it gives patients to finally express themselves. We aimed to create a film that drove awareness of eye-tracking and were determined to feature a real person with these disabilities to represent the millions that we typically never see in holiday films, and for who for so long have been left silent. This film is a window into the magical realm of possibilities when technology meets the human spirit.

The film was viewed over 10 million times in New York alone, with an unheard of 98% positive sentiment, bringing magic, joy and compassion to the holidays for all. With a striking 68% play rate and average view time of 3:03, the film was in the top three-viewed holiday ads on YouTube, ranking alongside holiday giants Apple and John Lewis. In addition, the online film doubled Montefiore Einstein’s YouTube channel followers, adding over 17,000 subscribers wanting to see more entertainment content from the system.

Through Solo’s story, we celebrated millions of people with disabilities. They felt seen, and responded. The hashtag #representationmatters trended and was shared by countless advocates for disability inclusion. They spread the word about eye tracking technology and inspired even more people who would otherwise remain silent to express themselves.

Our brand study tracked a 100% increase in positive perception of Montefiore Einstein since launch.

Founded in 1884 in the Bronx, Non-for-profit MontefioreEinstein believes that everyone should have access to world-class healthcare and technology. Montefiore Einstein pioneered the use of eye tracking to prove that kids like Solo have rich inner worlds and to give them a voice. The holidays are a time to connect, a time of celebration for all, yet so many are not represented in the holiday stories we tell. Representing these groups on screen matters— for too long, severe disabilities have been portrayed by able-bodied actors. It was crucial to cast a child who really uses eye tracking technology to showcase their potential and break the stereotype. We cast in the U.S. and Europe, and we couldn’t believe that we found Solo in NYC. This film is an authentic window into the magical realm of possibilities when technology meets the human spirit, transforming the narrative from limitation to endless potential.