Director Ho Yuhang had only one question in mind when he got the brief from TV3 for its latest Hari Raya advertisement — the story had to go with TV3’s Ramadan and Hari Raya campaign, which centres on the hashtag #TerimaKasih.
“How do you convey something meaningful from something that sounds deceptively simple? So, I decided to go with a story that is close to my heart, rather than try to cook up some tragic story,” he said during an interview in Kuala Lumpur.
The result is a heartwarming four-minute video focusing on a single mother working two jobs to raise her young children. It’s a story with elements of humour and joy to counter what could have been a sad family story about abandonment. Even Ho himself was surprised by the result.
“It’s probably the only gentle commercial that I’ve ever done. I must say it’s quite refreshing. My previous works tend to be more oddball or strange.” Ho described the fun shoot as an organic process: “I got a very good cast. Once I found the mother and the kids, I shaped the material around them. It’s what I do with people that I like.”
In other news, Ho’s latest film Mrs K is set for nationwide release in September. The revenge-themed film featuring Hong Kong stars Kara Hui, Simon Yam, Taiwanese rocker Wu Bai and our very own Faizal Hussein has passed censorship board screening with no cuts.
“It’s going to be released in September for sure. Finas has given us the date. We just have make some modification to the subtitles by changing some of the swear words. It’s no big deal.”
