MAF Australia wanted to encourage supporters to consider making a ‘bequest,’ a gift in their will that they would never personally see the fruit of. While MAF has a rich history of mission, for over 75 years, the concept of a legacy gift can feel abstract and distant. Our challenge was to create a cinematic narrative that bridged the gap between a foundational past and an unknown future. Our goal was to make the act of giving feel like a vital, enduring link in a long chain of mission work.

A Lifeline Beyond a Lifetime 

Our creative strategy centred on the story of pilot Harry Hartwig. Harry’s sudden death just three months after establishing the work of MAF in Papua New Guinea, meant he never saw the extraordinary impact of his labor. We sought to emphasise this by using a “parallel narrative” technique, pairing 8mm-style footage with a modern-day pilot’s voiceover to reveal a powerful twist: Harry’s legacy was sustained by the faithful supporters who came after him. This film reframes a bequest from a financial transaction into a moving, emotive tool. It invites donors to join a historic lineage that keeps planes in the sky for generations to come.