"A curse of ambition to influence change" is the rationale behind a new video documenting an aspiring filmmaker's attempts to empower people with encouraging messages on Wellington's waterfront.
The clip, posted on YouTube by Victoria University commerce student Caleb Jack Williams, shows him writing phrases on the ground in chalk in an effort to draw smiles and raise the spirits of passers-by.
In the video, Mr Williams says he sees the "failure to preach love and empower one another" is one of Western society's "biggest problems".
"I'm not sure if this is because of a collective ignorance to the fact that we live in a pretty broken world, or people are just afraid of sharing what they're struggling with - but I decided to take a small step in encouraging people and spreading the love," he wrote on his YouTube clip's caption.
The Lower Hutt local told Newshub he was motivated to make the video because some people need help realising that they're loved and cared for.
"New Zealand as a population, myself included, struggle so much to communicate [that idea] to each other and therefore sometimes, I think we might forget that people actually do care for us," he said.
"Every film I make, I'm always trying to portray an idea I deeply believe in, and that drive to influence change is what keeps dragging me back to making those sorts of films."
Mr Williams' previous videos have seen him hit the headlines in the past; earlier this year, his ode to the capital's iconic Cuba St and his planting of a disposable camera on Wellington waterfront also garnered national attention.
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He says while he loves the type of films he's currently making, he's looking forward to broadening his portfolio a lot more if he succeeds in his goal of going professional.
"Although I love communicating a serious message, the bottom line is I love to tell stories, show adventures and display other peoples' success in their dreams -business or whatever it may be," Mr Williams explained.
"So anything that falls into that non-fiction bracket is what I want to be doing."
Newshub.
