People say that no matter how old you are, you’ll always be a child in your parents’ eyes – but to Ayah, Adik will always be the little boy who never grew up. So goes the story of Samsung’s Rezeki Memori, which follows the journey of Adik, played by Bront Palarae who finally returns to his kampung only to learn a very important life lesson.
Every Raya, there’s so much to look forward to! All that buzz and excitement with so many favourite delicacies to savour and duit raya to collect – or so that was what Adik had expected after not returning home for several years, swept away by his work in the hustle and bustle of the city. However, when he arrived, things were not as he had envisioned. There was tension in the air as he was greeted by his sister, played by Marissa Yasmin and a seemingly cold father who didn’t appear to recognise him.
Though surprising to viewers at first glance, it later becomes painfully obvious that Ayah, played by Bohari Ibrahim, suffers from dementia. Ayah’s eyes light up only when he is shown old and dated photos of Adik and Ayah. The smiles are wide, and photos are tinged with cheeriness – a far cry from the current tense reunion.
The short film then cuts to the following day where it is a dream come true for Ayah. He is lively and joyful – his eyes warm as he clings onto every long-awaited second he had been yearning to spend with Adik. But what started out as a fun day together soon turned sour when the skies began to darken and pour. Unable to get a hold of Adik and Ayah, Adik’s sister became sick with worry as she looked for them anxiously – only to find both seeking shelter under a hut. And with that, all the tension and stress that had been brewing under the cover of forced smiles and pleasantries came to a head.
That was when Adik realised that when all was said and done, it didn’t matter how much money he had earned slaving away at his job in the city – the most precious thing he could have possibly given his father was not material possessions, but time. Time to create everlasting memories.
While the short film is fictional, the story hits close to home for many Malaysians – especially Emir, who is the inspiration and Chief Creative Officer behind the short film. Being the eldest grandson in the family, he had always shared a close relationship with his grandfather – even when dementia tried to slowly chip away at their bond. “Before his passing, he had dementia for 5-6 years. And while he was constantly irritable, understandably so – it only drove home the fact how much he truly loved me. Even when he couldn’t recognise the Emir that was standing in front of him, his eyes would light up only in the way a grandparent could whenever he was shown pictures of me as a young boy,” he shared.
Which is why, this Raya, we want to remind you to hold all your loved ones close. Life is fleeting and short. You might think you have all the time in the world, until you don’t.
This is the message we want you to take home. We’re often so busy growing up, we forget our loved ones are growing old.
With that being said, share with us your precious Raya moments – past or present – and stand a chance to be featured in Samsung’s Raya Memories montage. Don’t forget to include hashtags #MyFirstRaya #withGalaxy and #RezekiMemori when you upload on Instagram and TikTok from today until 17th May 2022!
To watch Samsung’s Rezeki Memori, head to https://youtu.be/fyQQv3wcpIY