The 2’30” animation was made by Foetz-based Zeilt Productions for Aime, an Australian based charity using mentoring to make the education system fairer and break the cycle of poverty. Based in Australia, since 2005 the organisation has worked with Australia’s indigenous young people by partnering them with university student volunteers in a structured mentoring programme. The project has proven so successful, it is now launching internationally.

"Cogs", which was five months in the making, aims to explain the barriers society places in front of young people born into poverty by showing two boys whose very different lives are physically determined by rail tracks.

“The divide between the powerful and the powerless has never been greater. And in these challenging times, we need to realise that if we want to change the world, we need to change the way it works,” is the motto at the end of the short.

The film was directed by Laurent Witz with music composed by Olivier Defradat and lyrics sung by Mariot Pejot.