Nas Scores Aflac's Emotional Short Film 'The Park Bench' About Healthcare Disparities

As Nas continues to prep King’s Disease III, the Illmatic mastermind found time to score a new short film for Alfac called The Park Bench. 

Produced by Carl Reed of Lion Forge Animation and directed/written by Academy Award nominee Rob Edwards, the film follows the story of a young girl Bella, whose father has been diagnosed with sickle cell disease and shows their journey to embrace family, care and home as the famous Aflac duck lends a wing.

The Park Bench was named an official selection at Brand Storytelling 2022, a sanctioned event of the Sundance Film Festival. It was also selected at the Sedona International Film Festival and will be featured at multiple film events across the country.

The short film falls under Aflac’s new Close The Gap initiative, which aims to address medical debut and disparities in health and wealth in America.

“We wanted to make a film that depicted the value of care, using the backdrop of a common family story—caring for each other in times of an unexpected medical crisis,” Aflac CMO Shannon Watkins said in a statement. “It underscores what Aflac believes — during medical events you need to focus on what matters most: your recovery, not finances.”

Nas and Hit-Boy confirmed King’s Disease III was imminent on last month’s Magic track “Ugly” with Nas rapping, “I’m on offense every day until I see the love/KD3 on the way, this just to feed the buzz.” The project will serve as the follow-up to the 2020 Grammy Award-winning original and 2021’s King’s Disease II. 

Until its arrival, check out a behind-the-scenes look at The Park Bench below.

Nas, two Oscar-winning filmmakers, and an unexpected friend, the Aflac Duck, teamed up to tell a touching story about the importance of caring in The Park Bench! Now streaming on Roku.

— Aflac (@aflac) January 21, 2022