In Singapore, Chinese New Year is regarded by the Chinese as the most important time of the year, a time for family reunion and new beginnings. Families get ready for the festivities by spring cleaning their homes, shopping for decorations and snacks, and planning for meals. On the first few days of Chinese New Year, it is customary for people to visit their relatives, friends and even neighbours.

We noticed that some from the younger generations in Singapore were feeling ambivalent towards the festive celebrations, finding the rituals and traditions a chore, and if given a choice, would rather not spend it at home with their families. This offered us an opportunity to tell a story that reinforces our brand values and belief that connectivity in the deeper sense of the word matters, and that despite our increasingly digital lifestyles, family and shared histories remain important to us.

“From Ma, With Love”, a short film for Chinese New Year 2018, features three Singaporean undergraduates studying overseas who think they’ve successfully dodged spending Chinese New Year and the annual obligations of decorating, feasting and doing the bidding of their families by using school as a pretext and returning early to Australia. As they unpack, one flatmate finds to her surprise tubs of Chinese New Year goodies including her favourite homemade pineapple tarts in her suitcase. Packed along this is a letter from her mother that her flatmate picks up and reads aloud.

The film unfolds as an affectionate letter from mother to daughter. Her words, heard as a voiceover, not only evoke memories of past celebrations but also a universal sense of family that speaks to all three flatmates who come to realise how blessed they are. Feeling remorseful, they instinctively reach for their phones to call home.