Royston Tan's CNY short film celebrates family and community through 'cai fan' feast

Sometimes, family doesn't just include those related to us by blood. 

Local director Royston Tan's newest Chinese New Year short film Extended Love, a collaboration with creative agency MullenLowe Singapore, highlights the importance of 'found' family and a strong community through a unique cai fan reunion dinner.

The three-minute short film, commissioned by the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), features an overseas-based Singaporean woman named Adeline who returns to Singapore to spend Chinese New Year with her grandmother.

Adeline also intends to convince her grandmother, who lives alone, to move abroad and live with her parents.

However, Adeline's grandmother insists that she is not without friends and family in Singapore.

When Adeline arrives at the neighbourhood coffee shop where her grandmother runs a cai fan stall, she meets a diverse group of neighbours who are there for a special reunion dinner.

She is told by one of her grandmother's neighbours, whom she recognises and calls "Uncle Ong", that this cai fan reunion dinner has been a regular occurrence for the past few years.

"After decades of looking after each other, we're practically family," Adeline's grandmother says as Mavis Hee's Moonlight in the City, a 1990s classic, starts to play.

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The film ends with everybody seated at the dinner table, chatting and enjoying their meal.

Adeline tears up as her grandmother tells her: "Even the most flavourful meal can never compare to the richness of relationships."

In that moment, Adeline realises her grandmother is loved and supported by her 'found' family.

According to director Royston Tan, the film explores themes of family, community and joyful reunion through the warmth of a shared meal.

"Through the film, we want to highlight the beauty and strength of strong community ties, while encouraging Singaporeans to come together to celebrate the festive occasion in new and meaningful ways," Tan said.

Extended Love is now on all Gov.sg social media channels and can be viewed on free-to-air television, Channel 8 and Channel U from Feb 2 to 25.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com