Title: D&I - Samantha
Duration: {2.56} minutes
Description:
Samantha, Offshore Manager, Shell.
Samantha is speaking directly to us. Looking in the lens, she tells us her story – in her own words – at Shell we’re stronger together by being unique.
D&I – Samantha, Master Transcript
[Background music plays]
Calm, gentle piano music plays over the film.
[Visuals]
We see a photo of a young boy.
[Text displays]
I wanted to be like my mum
To wear those dresses.
[Visuals]
We see Samantha, sitting in an armchair. A man is beside her. He claps his hands, like a clapper board. Samantha is smiling at the camera.
[Text displays]
Samantha, Offshore Manager, Shell.
Voiceover
I prayed every night, that I would wake up the next day, and I would be female. I would be. And that was every single night of my life, I prayed that.
[Visuals]
Samantha is sitting in her chair. She is looking straight at the camera. She uses her hands to emphasis her statement.
[Visuals]
We see Samantha holding a photo album, looking at photos, flicking through the pages. She is smiling at the memories.
Voiceover
Going to school, the teachers actually put a sign saying ‘boy’ round my neck and try and instil that you’ve got to be a boy.
[Visuals]
We see a carousel of photographs moving clockwise, of Samantha as a child.
Voiceover
And it was a message, a constant drumbeat through, through my growing up. You know that, boys don’t cry, don’t play with girls.
[Visuals]
We see Samantha in her chair. The camara cuts to a photograph of her as a young boy.
Voiceover
By the time I was seventeen, I had some feminine clothes that I bought myself. My father came across the clothes, and I was made to burn them. So, to fit in, I burnt them.
[Visuals]
We see Samantha in profile. She is looking at the camera.
Voiceover
And this is where I was told, you can’t live this sort of life. I hid myself away. I tried to be, what I was being told I had to be.
[Visuals]
We see Samantha drinking from a purple cup.
Voiceover
I was twenty-one, twenty-two…. And I was fortunate enough, to end up working with Shell in the Brent field.
[Visuals]
We see an oil rig. Rig works are getting out of a helicopter. You hear the sound of the helicopter. We see workers, working on the rig.
Voiceover
But for me, it was more to do with working for 2 weeks, and then having 2 weeks off.
[Visuals]
We see Samantha, in her chair, with her dog.
Voiceover
The 2 weeks I was at home, were split predominantly by being feminine. And I had a social media page. My, “my real-life persona” on line, or my real desired persona.
[Visuals]
Samantha is in her chair. Talking to the camera.
Voiceover
That’s when fate intervened.
[Visuals]
We see Samantha from the side. Sitting in her chair.
Voiceover
One colleague saw a photograph of me, feminine.
[Visuals]
We photographs of Samantha feminine.
Voiceover
They did the most wonderful thing.
[Visuals]
We see Samantha from talking directly to the camera.
Voiceover
They just said they were there for me.
[Visuals]
We see Samantha from the side. Sitting in her chair. Shaking her head.
Voiceover
I mean it brings a tear to my eye even now, what that person did.
[Visuals]
We see Samantha smiling and laughing.
Voiceover
My life for the first 35 years was an acting job. Now I go to work, I’m me. I'm Samantha.
Voiceover
We talk about authenticity, honesty, respect for people. You know there is so much we can learn about one another. I now spend my days listening, supporting, impowering others.
[Visuals]
We finish on a shot of Samantha, sitting in her chair, smiling at the camera.
[Background music plays]
Shell Sound of Shell jingle closes.
[Text displays]
Shell: Unique People. Powerful together.
[Visuals]
A Shell CTA & pectin appears on screen.