The lights dimmed at Marina Bay Sands Theatre on the evening of June 17. For the next two hours, more than 1,400 guests sat in near silence, captivated by a story about letters, waiting, and the long shadow of the past. By the time the credits rolled, many were wiping away tears.
The film is Dear You (《給阿嬤的情書》), a Teochew-dialect drama from China that has already become a surprise box-office phenomenon at home. Made on a budget of just 14 million yuan (about S$2.65 million), it has grossed over 1.7 billion yuan (about S$320 million) in China, earning it the title of a "dark horse" hit. Now, with its premiere in Singapore—a city-state where there are a big number of Teochew and Hokkien immigrants—the film is reaching a new audience for whom the story resonates not just as history, but as family memory.
The film's director, Lan Hongchun, and its two leads, Li Sitong and Wang Yantong, walked the red carpet before the screening. At a press conference held earlier that day, Lan described the film's pacing with a culinary metaphor from his native Chaoshan region. He said, "Going to watch this film is like the feeling of eating an olive for the first time. When you first see it, it seems like just a small green fruit, not very noticeable. But when you put it in your mouth, there will be a sour, astringent, or bitter taste. But don't spit it out too quickly, don't reject it. Slowly savor it, give it some time, and in the end, it will reward you with a strong and lingering sweetness."
Wang Yantong, who plays the male lead Zheng Musheng, compared it to Chaoshan clay pot congee, "slowly simmered over a gentle flame," with no dramatic flourishes but a lingering warmth.
More than 90% of the film's dialogue is in Teochew, a deliberate choice made by director Lan. He said he insists on using the dialect because it creates "a sense of intimacy and closeness" in his storytelling. Wang, a native of Shantou, had to learn the Chaoyang accent for his role—a challenge, he said, because "the Chaoyang accent sounds particularly forceful, which matches Musheng's personality." He demonstrated the difference onstage, joking that in Chaoshan, there's a saying: "It's better to argue with someone from Shantou or Chaozhou than to chat with someone from Chaoyang."
The film is rooted in the tradition of "Qiaopi"—a practice in which overseas Chinese sent letters and remittances to their families back home. The story centers on a grandson who travels to Thailand to uncover the truth about his grandfather, who disappeared decades ago. He discovers that the love letters that kept his grandmother hopeful during her half-century wait were written by someone else. This is a tale of migration, separation, and the quiet endurance of those left behind.
For many in the Singapore audience, the narrative hit close to home. Andrew Tan, a Singaporean of Chinese descent with roots in Jinsha Village, Guangdong, said after the screening: "This reminds me of our past—grandparents and their parents who came from China, and this is the kind of life, their experience. So we feel very heartfelt to know that this is the kind of life they experienced." Tan, who has visited his ancestral village, expressed concerns that such memories are fading.
Kok Qing Ping, a 21-year-old Singaporean viewer, said she cried several times during the film. Her grandfather had recently passed away, and the final scene—in which a character brings an ancestral tablet home—gave her a sense of "falling leaves returning to the roots," a phrase that carries significant meaning in Chinese culture. "I'm 21 years old, and I just had my birthday," she said. "If you try to find a 20-year-old in Singapore who can speak Hokkien, I think it's a very difficult thing." She added that films in dialects like Teochew, Hokkien, and Cantonese "can help us understand our roots, and keep us from forgetting where we come from."
One of the most unexpected reactions came from a couple seated in the middle of the theater. Johannes Stubbe, a German who does not speak Chinese, attended with his partner, Ms. Liu, a Chinese student studying in Singapore. Liu shared she cried "from the middle until the end," moved by the film's portrayal of love sustained through handwritten letters. "It's very romantic when it's between loved ones, like a husband and a wife," she said. "No matter how long the distance is, their love remains." Stubbe, relying entirely on English subtitles, was equally captivated.
"I don't understand Chinese," he admitted, "but with the subtitles, it's a touching story." He added: "Don't you think the concept of having one letter per month would be awesome?" For a viewer enjoying action films, his praise was measured but genuine: "I generally felt that it was a good movie. I was captivated throughout the entire time."
Dear You officially premiered in Singapore on June 18. The film's Singapore distributor, Clover Films, has secured screenings in 24 out of the city's 26 cinemas, primarily in a Mandarin-dubbed version. There will be only special screenings for the Teochew-dubbed version, which consists of eight shows that sold out within 90 minutes of tickets going on sale, with 4,816 seats snapped up. The distributor is now in talks with authorities to add more Teochew-dialect screenings. Lim Teck, managing director of Clover Films, told reporters that he expects the film to surpass S$1 million at the Singapore box office, drawing about 100,000 local viewers.
Derek Goh, president of the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan, summed up the film's resonance for the local community: "The spirit of the Teochew people is to strive hard and be self-reliant. We are very united. Wherever there is sea, there are Teochew people, and so on. Moreover, we are all very filial. The bond among brothers and sisters is also very strong. I think this film truly can represent the spirit of Teochew people."
Reporter: Guo Zedong
Photo, video & cover: Deng Yingheng
