For years, Apple has found a variety of ways to celebrate the Chinese New Year through the heightened potential of its products—mainly, the iPhone. This year, the brand explores the humanity behind a holiday tradition: the Chinese Opera.

Ahead of the holiday on Jan. 22, Apple is celebrating with the launch of a new campaign featuring a heartwarming short film shot entirely on an iPhone 14 Pro. Made in collaboration with creative agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai, the short film “Through the Five Passes” tells the story of a man’s love of opera and the power of resilience. Through the spot, Apple spotlights the influence the Chinese Opera has maintained throughout history, dating back to the first dynasty of Imperial China.

The 18-minute spot, directed by Peng Fei, follows a young performer as he prepares backstage for a big performance. While he waits to go onstage, he chats with other entertainers who left the traditional Chinese Opera to pursue other art forms. Through flashbacks, we witness his personal struggles while learning the traditional skill, such as teasing from his loved ones, as well as his determination to perfect his craft. The film ends by highlighting the people and communities that continue to perform Chinese Operas across China today.

In addition to the main film, Apple released a separate behind-the-scenes look at how the art form was captured all on the brand’s iPhone 14 Pro. The spot shows how the color and motion of traditional Chinese Opera made the perfect subject for showcasing the capture capabilities of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max’s features—more specifically, Action, low-light and Cinematic modes.

Tradition and resilience

For Apple, which consistently produces cinematic efforts like 2022’s “The Comeback” campaign, the Chinese New Year is a chance to to connect the brand with notable Asian talent. Last year’s award-winning film was directed by Zhang Meng, who is largely known for the 2010 feature The Piano in the Factory.

This year’s campaign marks the brand’s sixth spot celebrating the holiday. Past films include “Nian” (2021), “Daughter” (2020), “The Bucket” (2019) and “Three Minutes” (2018).

You can view “Through the Five Passes” on the brand’s YouTube channel along with the behind-the-scenes film of how the spot was shot on an iPhone.