ARSLA’s New Campaign, ‘A Finger for Hope,’ Asks ALS Patients to Flip Off the Disease, Literally

Raising your middle finger usually takes half a second and almost no thought. Unless you have ALS.

ALS is one of the few diseases that strips the body of its strength while leaving the mind completely intact. As muscles weaken, even the most basic gestures become difficult or impossible, starting with the upper body.

A global scourge that, in France, affects five new people every day and claims the lives of five more. With nearly 400,000 cases worldwide and a projected 25% increase by 2040, the disease continues to advance.

Fred & Farid Paris’ new campaign for ARSLA, France’s leading ALS organization, turns that physical reality into its creative core. As Long As We Have Strength features seven people living with ALS attempting to raise their middle finger, a universal sign of defiance and one of the first gestures ALS erodes.

Some participants complete the gesture. Others manage only partial movement or need a caregiver to lift their finger. The 45-second film, directed by Hannah Rosselin, presents each attempt in real time, with no cuts, no graphics, and no narration. Viewers witness the visible effort behind a gesture most people never think about.

The soundtrack adds emotional depth. It was composed by Pone, the influential French hip-hop producer who has lived with ALS for a decade. Unable to use his hands, Pone now composes entirely through eye-tracking software, controlling rhythm, melody, and arrangement with his gaze alone.

The campaign sparked major debate in France. Even the French First Lady joined in, raising her middle finger in front of cameras to support the cause. It culminated in the opening of the Institut Charcot, France’s first research center dedicated exclusively to ALS and motor neuron diseases, and the first of its kind in Europe. Donations from the campaign support a €20 million fundraising effort for the newly opened institute, focused on precision medicine and next-generation therapies.

Source: Fred & Farid Paris

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