It’s since been viewed more than 10 million times on Facebook alone.
The clip features a man counting down the days to Christmas so he can continue his yearly tradition sparked by a tragic moment from the past.
Marking off the calendar, we arrive at December 25th when the man pulls out a cassette tape and tearfully listens to a message from his late mother—the final one in a yearly series of cassette messages that his mom prepared for him.
“Hi Chris it’s mum,” her voice echoes. “Merry Christmas Poppet! Another year has passed.”
The man’s face radiates his emotion and heartbreak as his late mother speaks directly to him.
“It’s time to say goodbye,” she says. “Just remember how much I love you. Never forget that, OK? I will always be your mum.”
The film cost Beastall just $63 to make and was inspired by a holiday commercial for the U.K. department store John Lewis & Partners, which takes viewers through the life of Elton John and his lifelong companion—the piano.
“I just wanted to make something impactful that would resonate,” Beastall told BBC News. “I thought it would be a nice story to tell. I just wanted to create something that would remind people that we are lucky to be alive.”
Beastall’s film was not inspired by a true story, something his mother Linda joked about with the British newspaper The Sun saying, “”I’m still very much alive – and I plan to stay that way, thank you!”
We were created to love and be loved. Beastall’s film beautifully captures the undying love of a mother, and the bond between a woman and her child.
