A cinematic new film from Australia's oldest bank, Westpac, aims to capture the country's spirit of helping others by illustrating real-life moments from the country's history.

Created by DDB Sydney and directed by Mark Molloy, the spot depicts scenes such as the building of Sydney Harbor bridge in the 1900s during which 16 people died, and a dramatic helicopter rescue during the floods of 2011. The latter scene was reconstructed with the help of one of the real-life rescuers, Samantha Law (as seen in a behind-the-scenes film, that also includes interviews with Molloy.)

Other moments include a wheelchair basketball scene in which an athlete falls and is helped back up by a member of the rival team, a woman aided in giving birth in a truck in the Outback and a little girl who provides company to a lonely child on a school bus.

Set to a cover of David Bowie's "Heroes" by Australian indie band Gang of Youths, it's an epic production (via Exit Films) that sets out to underline Westpac's heritage as a 200-year old Australian brand and its charitable efforts, which includes 44 years of support for the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service and its backing of disability and inclusion initiatives.

Molloy, who himself grew up on a farm in the Australian Outback, comments: "When I saw the script and the initial idea, I was immediately drawn to the humanity in the script. That Australian willingness to jump in and help each other is part of our cultural spirit. As an Aussie boy now living overseas, that spirit even more evident to me. For me it wasn't about the single moments in time but how do all these stories form one story? How does it get back to the character and how does it relate to the emotion? The story can be huge, but it's all about people."