The Hands Behind the Celebration – A Chinese New Year 2026 Film for CelcomDigi by GREY Malaysia and Directors Think Tank’s Maurice Noone

For Chinese New Year 2026, CelcomDigi, in collaboration with GREY Malaysia and Directors Think Tank, presents a film directed by Maurice Noone that shifts the spotlight from the celebration itself to the people who quietly make it possible. As the Widest, Fastest and Secure Network, CelcomDigi believes connection goes beyond signal strength, it also lives in the hands of those who preserve culture, craft and tradition.

This film honours the unseen makers behind Chinese New Year, reminding us that celebration is built, not automatic. The story begins in absence. The energy we expect; the lion dance, the drums, the festive cookie, incense smoke, and red Spring Festival couplets, are missing. Families gather in familiar spaces, yet something feels hollow, the silence creates a quiet unease, inviting the audience to feel how incomplete the celebration is without its essential elements.

Then the film turns. We meet the artisans. Incense powder is kneaded by hand. Kuih kapit sizzles and folds over charcoal in rhythmic precision. As their labour unfolds, sound begins to build. What started as silence became a rhythm. What was invisible begins to appear.

Bringing this film to life was not easy. Real artisans, who have quietly kept these traditions alive for years, were cast instead of actors, which meant travelling outstation to meet them in their own workshops and homes. It required time, patience and trust. As film director, Maurice Noone shares, “This film was never about recreating tradition. It was about witnessing it. And finding the right Director of Photography was crucial, because the intention was not just to capture emotion, but to frame culture with care and honesty. When you spend time with the real makers, you feel the pride and history in their hands. That feeling is what the film carries.”

The film was shaped through close collaboration with CelcomDigi and GREY, whose trust and honest dialogue helped strengthen the idea at every stage. As the creative team shares, “This Chinese New Year film definitely takes and intentionally unconventional approach. We chose to not linger on the celebration itself, but on the hands that make it possible. Maurice’s approach showed that emotion doesn’t need to be loud to be powerful. With his direction, the craft and the real artisans were able to lead the story. When the celebration finally unfolds, it feels earned – built on hours of invisible labour and generational pride.”

Through this journey from absence to presence, the film delivers a powerful message: traditions survive because people choose to carry them forward. By honouring the quiet hands behind our festivities, CelcomDigi connects Malaysians not just to each other, but to the heritage that binds them.