Apple's mission to Mars

Apple has released its annual short film which celebrates Chinese New Year and, in 2022, that film follows the making of a film by a small community in rural China.

Created by TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai and called The Comeback, the 20-minute film is directed by Zhang Meng and is shot entirely on the iPhone 13 Pro. It is a movie about making a movie and aims to inspire and encourage people to never stop believing in their dreams, even if that dream is as far away as Mars. 

The story follows a young stunt-double who dreams of being behind the camera, not just in-front of it. After hurting himself on-set, he returns home for Chinese New Year to spend time with his father while nursing his injury and escaping his perceived failure to achieve his dream. The villagers celebrate his return as the 'big director' and he is reluctantly convinced to help the village create a movie of their own, to make their unknown village 'internet famous'. But, what the making of the film it really does is bring the villagers together as they craft and create a movie set on Mars.

Zhang Meng and DP Luo Dong used only the three native cameras of the iPhone 13 Pro to shoot what is a hybrid Kung Fu action/Hollywood sci-fi/feel-good comedy short.

 Above: The making of The Comeback.