Three Hakka language promotional videos released recently dealt with social issues such as gender mainstreaming and civic participation which the younger generation are concerned with, instead of focusing on the promotion of preserving Hakka traditions, which are usually associated with the nostalgic imagery of rural villages and local seniors. The three videos were produced by the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC).

The first video was released on television and the internet at the end of October. In the video, actress Hsu Li-wen (徐麗雯), a Hakka descendant, portrays a pregnant CEO who speaks fluent English and Mandarin in the workplace, but chooses to talk to her unborn baby privately in her mother tongue—Hakka.

Hsu, in reality, is about six months pregnant and expecting her second child, accurately capturing the touching moment in the video when she speaks her lines in the Hakka language.

Airing in mid-November, the second video follows a same-sex couple who run a noodle restaurant, often showing their hospitality and kindness to an old lady living by herself in the neighborhood. To promote marriage equality, Tsou Tzung-han (鄒宗翰), a journalist and human rights activist, and James Wen (溫昇豪), an award-winning actor, play the main roles. In this heartwarming video, the conversation between the pair proceeds in the Hakka language.

The third promotional video was released at the end of November, and it is about a young couple who are each other’s work spouse ending up becoming life partners.