Sometimes you don’t need a two or three-hour movie to tell a story, make a statement and move people. Sometimes you can do it in three minutes with little dialog and a minuscule budget. Sometimes simple imagery does it better than any special effects or big production pieces. Sometimes you find such artistry in the most unexpected places – you know – like maybe within a television commercial.
In a three-minute commercial called “Giving True,” a Thai telecom company does just that and, while it may seem to be a bit crass to put the company out there as some major philanthropic organization, the end product is an excellent morality tale.
It tells the story of a man who does a good deed with no expectation of repayment and, who many years later, is repaid many times over for his kindness. In three minutes this mini movie tells a touching story and elicits a strong emotional response. If it does not move you and, at the very least, bring a lump to the throat then there is something wrong . . . you have no heart.