The people of Belgium have been left reeling by the first adult-only episode of the Smurfs, in which the blue-skinned cartoon characters' village is annihilated by warplanes.
The short but chilling film is the work of Unicef, the United Nations Children's Fund, and is to be broadcast on national television next week as a campaign advertisement.
Update by Rob:
More on the commercial:
In 2005 the first adult-only episode of the Smurfs was aired in Belgium, in which the blue-skinned cartoon characters' village is annihilated by warplanes [1]. Designed as a UNICEF advertisement, and with the approval of family of the Smurfs' late creator "Peyo", the 25-second episode was shown on the national evening news after the 9pm timeslot. The scene starts with happy peaceful smurfs and butterflies, who are then bombed by warplanes, ending with a lone baby smurf surrounded by bloody and prone parents. The final frame bears the message: "Don't let war affect the lives of children." It is the keystone in a fund raising campaign by Unicef's Belgian arm, to raise £70,000 for the rehabilitation of former child soldiers in Burundi.
Update by Rob:
Video of the commercial here.