Most Shocking Second a Day is a 60-second short film made in 2014 by Save the Children, a charity dedicated to helping children living through war; in this specific case, children living in Syria who were suffering and made refugees due to the Syrian civil war.
The film stars Lily, an eleven year old girl living in Britain, and shows one second per day of her life. Things seem normal at first, but as the film progresses, news reports and the discussions of people around her show that civil unrest is beginning to take place. Eventually, Britain falls into war, and Lily and her family are forced to flee their home.
In the 2016 sequel, Still the Most Shocking Second a Day, Lily and her mother are living at a refugee camp, but have to flee because the country isn't safe any longer. While crossing the waters, Lily loses track of her mother and ends up taking on a motherly role herself to a boy named Alfie. However, when they arrive in France, Alfie is taken from Lily, leaving her with nothing.
In case it wasn't clear, both of these short films are Public Information Films meant to show the public the reality of what life was like for Syria's children at the time, and asked for donations to their charity.
Tropes:
- A Birthday, Not a Break: Both films end with a tragic birthday for Lily. In the first film, she has to celebrate without her father, and only a ration with a candle instead of a cake, while in the second, she simply has no reaction that it's her birthday, despite the refugee worker congratulating her.
- Book Ends: Both films begin and end with Lily's birthday being celebrated in increasingly more depressing manners.
- Christmas Episode: One clip in the second film takes place on Christmas, where Lily gifts a rabbit plush that she was given for her birthday to a little boy.
- Disappeared Dad: Near the end of the first film, Lily's father is separated from her and her mother. He is never seen again, and the second film has a clip of Lily and her mother putting up missing posters.
- Gilligan Cut: Played for Horror: While trying to escape Britain, Lily insists to her mother that she will not get on the boat without her. The next clip is of Lily on the boat alone.
- Girlish Pigtails: Several pre-war clips show Lily wearing small pigtails.
- Given Name Reveal: Lily's name is not spoken until near the end of the first film, where her father is heard screaming "RUN, LILY!". The end of the second film repeats her name more clearly, as the French refugee worker uses it when filling out her papers.
- Halloween Episode: One clip from the first film shows Lily on Halloween, wearing a frog mask.
- I Will Find You: When it's revealed that Lily and her mother will not be able to flee the country together, Lily's mother declares to her this trope's name.
- Product Placement: One of the last clips before war truly erupts is of Lily playing with what appears to be a Nintendo 3DS.
- Promotion to Parent: In the second half of the second film, Lily takes care of a little boy whose parents drowned while fleeing the country, like a mother.
- Trauma Conga Line: In about three years, Lily has to flee her country as it's being bombed, leaving her father behind, has guns pointed at her head when her refugee camp is attacked, then has to flee again and leave her mother behind, almost drowns, and ends up stranded in France with absolutely nothing.
- Uncertain Doom: Lily's father is separated from her near the end of the first film. Since he's never seen again, it's very likely that he was killed.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Lily's grandmother is only seen in one clip, and her fate when the war breaks out is left unknown.
