Who knew a simple cup of tea could bridge strangers thousands of kilometres apart?

British filmmaker Will Shears is proving just that, turning casual cuppas into powerful human connections through his viral project A Mug of Life.

Armed with a Thermos and a simple question, “do you want a tea or coffee?”, Shears approaches strangers around the world, inviting them to share more than just a drink.

Filmed everywhere from London to Sydney, his videos capture heartfelt, unfiltered conversations with people opening up about life, loss and everything in between.

“It gives me so much purpose,” he said, highlighting how it’s given him a newfound purpose in an increasingly disconnected world.

-with reporter Samantha Butler