SINGAPORE – Singtel has released a heartwarming film to commemorate National Day, encouraging Singaporeans to celebrate family and the shared histories that make Singapore home.

Titled The Drive Home, the six-minute film is about a teenager who is made to visit his grandfather in Singapore after having lived and studied abroad in Australia for some time.

Unknown to him, his visit comes in the run-up to National Day which means a lot to his grandfather. Their generation gap and time spent apart make for comic and sometimes strained interactions, but also highlight the gulf between their attitudes to National Day.

“The film puts the spotlight on the significance of National Day and by extension, the definition of home,” said Ms Lian Pek, Vice President for Group Strategic Communications and Brand at Singtel.

“What defines home for Singaporeans and how does one generation pass on their love of country and home to the next? These are questions we try to tackle through a simple tale about how a grandfather yearns to see his grandson share his sense of patriotism and national pride.”

Initially, the grandson’s feeling of displacement is so strong that his father agrees to cut his trip short. Luckily, a little more bonding time with grandpa stokes childhood memories and a newfound appreciation for Singapore.

“We always say people make the place and home is where the heart is. Our shared histories with family, friends and community, shape our sense of belonging and give us our national identity,” said Pek. “As our society gets more global and families more nuclear, these bonds will hopefully endure to make Singapore a place we can always call home.”

When asked to comment on the relevance of the film’s message to the Singtel brand, Pek added: “It’s pretty simple, National Day has been connecting Singaporeans for generations. So have we.”

The Drive Home is a collaboration between Singtel, Akanga Films and award-winning filmmaker K. Rajagopal. It airs on Singtel TV and social media platforms from 12 July to 13 August 2018.

Singtel’s previous films such as Ah Ma’s Christmas and Mr Lim’s Reunion Dinner have generated over 15 million views on Facebook to date.