Petronas’s Deepavali web film focuses on family ties
PETALING JAYA: Devoid of cherubic-looking children, likeable grandmas and happy vibes, Petronas’s new web film for Deepavali, titled Monochrome, grabs one’s attention from the word go with its terseness.
“It focuses on strengthening family bonds that reflect the spirit of the festive season,” said Petronas group strategic communications senior general manager Zahariah Abd Rahman at the launch of the web film at the Lotus Five Star Cinema in Jalan Yong Shook Lin here recently.
“This Deepavali, we would like to encourage Malaysians to boost mutual understanding and respect in building a relationship between generations.
“No matter how far we go and what we want in life, we always return to what matters most — our families.”
Focusing on a strained relationship between father and son due to different expectations and aspirations, Monochrome was directed by Ismail Kamarul, 38, who directed Petronas’s controversial 2016 Chinese New Year webfilm Rubber Boy.
Rubber Boy was shortlisted at the 2016 Cannes Lions festival under the Craft Section for Best Script in France the same year.
Kamarul ranks Monochrome among his best works because it looks more like a film than a commercial.
“There is a lot of film craft to it. The actors were phenomenal.”
The web film takes its title from the name of the son’s photo studio, of which the father does not approve.
“Some photographers believe that black-and-white portraits capture people’s souls and not just their images.
“In this scenario, it is fitting that a portrait of the boy’s late mother, taken before her death a year ago, helps both men mend their relationship and move on with their lives,” said Kamarul.
Monochrome can be viewed on Petronas’s social media channels and will be aired on television until Wednesday.