Directors Think Tank hits the road for CelcomDigi’s Merdeka film “Dari Mata Kita” – 5 teams. 5 directors. 14 states. 1 film.

Directors Think Tank (DTT) recently teamed up with Grey Malaysia to deliver CelcomDigi’s National Day brand film, “Dari Mata Kita” — a sprint across 14 states that trades set-ups for serendipity, and polished scripts for real people living real moments. The film celebrates Merdeka and Malaysia Day and invites Malaysians to see the country anew — through the eyes of one another.

Built on the beloved saying “Dari mata turun ke hati” (“from the eyes to the heart”), the brief was clear: skip the postcards, find the pulse. Over two and a half weeks, five DTT directors fanned out to chase granular, hyper-local stories only locals would know — the kind you hear at a warung, not a tourist desk. The result: authentic slices of everyday Malaysia, stitched into a single journey film that captures moments from 160 towns across all 14 states.

The creative mandate came from Grey Malaysia’s CCO Graham Drew and ECD Jeremy Yeoh. As Yeoh put it, the idea sprang from a simple realisation: we don’t know our own backyard as much as we think — and the film is a nudge to rediscover it. To move fast and keep the visual language consistent, DTT mobilised multiple in-house directors under the lead of Carolyn Chon, whose annual solo photo expeditions shaped the project’s street-meets-travelogue aesthetic. Each team leaned into personal ties to their states, trusting the road to throw up the good stuff.

Chon charted a coastal arc from Terengganu down through Pahang to Johor; Maurice Noone cut through his father’s home state of Kelantan, through the Pahang highlands before rolling into his mother’s home state of Negeri Sembilan and then Melaka; Zaim Rosli canvassed Wilayah Persekutuan and Selangor; Chevie Law explored Penang and Perak; and Aiman Aliff, a proud Langkawi son, covered Kedah and Perlis. Carolyn and Maurice then hop on planes with their teams to hit the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.

“Dari Mata Kita” was conceived to feel found, not staged — part travelogue, part commercial photography — letting scenes unfold in markets, workshops, kampungs and back alleys. The soundtrack leans into the nation’s textures, from wayang kulit rhythms to the clatter of a beca passing by, narrated by veteran actor Ahmad Tarmimi Siregar with music supervised by Tank Music Asia.

For CelcomDigi, the film is more than festive fare — it’s a statement about connection as a human enabler, not just a network promise. That’s why the brand set out to present the widest representation of Malaysia in a single narrative, spanning big cities to quiet pockets most of us drive past.

Patriotism isn’t only fireworks and flags — it’s the little rituals, unsung craftspeople, and neighbours we nod to but rarely see. As a company of filmmakers who reflect Malaysia’s many threads, DTT leaned into that truth: from the eyes, to the heart. The journey was the point — letting curiosity steer, keeping the crew nimble, and trusting that the best frames often happen when you don’t have an exact plan, but faith in your fellow Malaysians.

Credits
Film Production: @directorsthinktank 
Film Director: @carolyncaprichon / @tengkumuamir / @law_choyyoke / @zaimrosli / @aimnalff
Executive Producer: @patsingh
Producer: @grayloi_is_me
Director of Photography: @arvintharann / @shahrulchehasan / ForkHadi / AbdulRahman / TimChan / Syabil Rahmat
Production Team: Jamie Chua / @teknam / @intansham / @benedictlazaroo / @sharharn_0817 / @cineshah / Ain Nasir / @ichaupil / Akid
Location: Malaysia, All over.
Post Production: @tank3asia
Audio House : @tankmusicasia
Equipment support: @tankquip
Creative Agency: GREY Malaysia
Chief Executive Officer: Irene Wong
Chief Creative Officer: Graham Drew
Managing Director: Cindy Quek
Executive Creative Director: Jeremy Yeoh
Creative Director: Candice Chhoa
Client Service Director: Jennifer Liew
Group Brand Director: Nailul Ali
Associate Creative Director: Ashraf Sheh
Creative Group Head: Lysha Zulkifly
Senior Art Director: Poh Yeng Lim
Senior Brand Manager: Rebecca Alyssa
Senior Strategic Manager: Alyssa Teh
Copywriter: Hashim Samsudim
Designer: Zi Ling Yap
AV Producer: Suzy Chiang
FA Artist: Shuh Meng Lim
Digital Imaging Artist: Ronnei Foong Kang Kai
Creative Services Director: Wan Naim
Creative Services Executive: Qistina Yazid