A film shot almost entirely in a southern Chinese dialect, which requires subtitles for most Chinese viewers, has become the second-highest-grossing film in China this year and is now embarking on an international release. "Dear You," made on a low budget with mostly unknown actors, was filmed primarily in Teochew, a dialect spoken in Guangdong’s Shantou region. The movie is set among the Teochew immigrant community in Bangkok and explores the experiences of those who left China to seek work and support their families.
The film offers a look into the long history of Chinese migration to Southeast Asia. Experts suggest it navigates official censorship requirements while presenting a compelling narrative that makes this lesser-discussed history visible to a wider audience. As of August, "Dear You" had grossed approximately 269 million yuan ($40 million) at the Chinese box office. It premiered in Thailand in early August, following earlier releases in Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia, with a United States release scheduled for next month.
The film's popularity coincides with a growing global presence for Chinese culture and consumer brands, including trends like "Chinamaxxing" and the popularity of collectible Labubu dolls. The Chinese government began promoting the film as it gained traction domestically and prepared for its international debut. The Chinese consul in Sydney remarked at a June screening that the film embodies "the Chinese nation’s virtues of diligence, kindness, courage and unity."
Belinda He, an assistant professor of East Asian cinema and media studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, stated that the movie aligns with Beijing's objective of "telling China’s stories well," emphasizing themes of friendship, tradition, and family, including kinship and motherhood. China's ambassador to Thailand presented the film at a special screening in July and a subsequent red carpet event, calling it "an excellent vehicle for telling China’s story well."
The film initially resonated in Malaysia and Singapore due to its depiction of a history not often featured in mainstream cinema. Chinese migration to Southeast Asia has roots stretching back centuries, with many immigrants originating from China's southern Guangdong and Fujian provinces, often working as laborers during the era of Western colonial rule across Asia.
The narrative follows a young man searching for his grandfather in Thailand to secure a loan for his debts. Family accounts suggest a wealthy grandfather who had left his wife and children in China and never returned. Using an address from an old remittance letter, the protagonist encounters individuals who were part of his grandfather’s life in Bangkok, ultimately uncovering why he never came back.
Director Lan Hongchun wrote in a state media outlet that he was inspired by his grandmother's stories of people migrating to Bangkok. The film incorporates "Dear You" features "qiaopi," or remittance letters, which Chinese immigrants used to send money and news back to China. Many who were illiterate relied on scribes in offices known as "poy kuan" to compose these letters. For 74-year-old Sathien Tuntipaiboontana, these scenes were reminiscent of his childhood. His father, like many others, had immigrated to Bangkok from China, leaving behind a family he remarried and never returned to, though remittances continued to be sent to his first family in China.
Thitikorn Phanprayoon, a third-generation Thai Chinese, was drawn to the film by the use of Teochew, the dialect he speaks at home, in its trailer—a departure from the Mandarin typically used in Chinese films. He expressed feeling a strong emotional connection, stating, "I felt like I was sitting at home."