Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – RHB Bank has released their latest Chinese New Year film, which was conceived and created by creative agency FCB SHOUT, which tells the life story of Beatrice Leong, an autistic rights activist and filmmaker who only found out she is autistic when she was in her 30s.
Titled ‘Acceptance’, the film was directed and narrated by Leong herself and shot entirely from a first person’s POV, allowing the viewer to see the world through her eyes and better understand how an autistic person processes the things around them.
The film talks about Leong struggles in coping with being different, constantly feeling unwanted and unaccepted by the world that simply couldn’t understand her. After learning about her diagnosis, her life dramatically turned around, taking great strides as an autism activist, becoming a beacon of hope for people who are autistic – especially women in Malaysia.
Her new purpose led to the foundation of her NGO called ‘Autism Inclusiveness Direct Action Group’, which champions representation for the autistic community in media spaces and policy-making.
Talking about the film, Abdul Sani Abdul Murad, group chief marketing officer of RHB Banking Group, said, “At RHB, we are committed to making progress happen for everyone, and our various Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (‘DEI’) initiatives are testament to this. This heartfelt and personal film by Beatrice Leong reaffirms our commitment to continue supporting the neurodiverse community and serves as a timely reminder during this festive period to embrace and celebrate one’s true self.”
Meanwhile, Tjer, head of creative at FCB Shout, commented, “It was really exciting to produce a film that was shot from a first person’s POV, but we did it not just because we wanted to do something different; there’s actually a deeper meaning behind the technique. Beatrice spent much of her life hiding and running away from the world. That inspired us to tell her story without actually showing who she really is, right until the very end.”
“Doing so also allows us to let the viewers experience what being an autistic person is like in an immersive manner, so that they can have a better understanding of this condition and begin to embrace and celebrate the differences in people,” added Tjer.
‘Acceptance’ was released on January 29, 2024, and is running across all RHB Bank’s social and digital channels in conjunction with the Chinese New Year festive celebration, which starts on February 10, 2024.
