Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – In celebration of the Chinese New Year, Malaysian oil and gas company Petronas has released a new film that gives importance to culture and heritage that serve as the ‘roots’ of every individual. The theme is anchored to the Petronas festive theme of the year, ‘Roots of Our Future’ which highlights and embeds the richness of heritage, customs and culture into all the festive films of 2023.
Titled ‘Yǐ Hé Wéi Guì’ or ‘The Negotiation’, it features a community of shopkeepers who received a devastating news that they need to leave their places on the eve of Chinese New Year because businesses will be developed in their area. They are convinced that they will benefit from the plan due to the job opportunities. However, the group didn’t want to leave because the place brought joy and memories to them.
The film ends with the residents staying in the community, celebrating the festive together, in a unified effort to save their history, heritage, home and way of life. It was also shown that the community was also preserved by fixing the roads and buildings.
This film is created in collaboration with Ensemble Worldwide, the creative unit of Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), the media-fueled creative content practice within the IPG Mediabrands network. It was directed by multi-awarded director P Prem Anand Pillai, in collaboration with Reserve Tank as the production house.
Ahmad Nazril Ibrahim, group creative director at MBCS explained that the film highlights how it feels to be a Malaysian. He also said that upon the modern development of society, it is important to understand the cultural heritage which serves as the roots that shapes an individual’s identity in a significant way.
Ibrahim added, “We’re excited to be embarking on this new journey of films with Petronas for the year, and hope all Malaysians are excited to journey with us in celebration of our rich culture and heritage.”
