HONG KONG, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Against the backdrop of bustling cinemas across Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Australia, a quiet, dialect-driven Chinese film has struck a profound chord with overseas audiences as the tear-jerking feature "Dear You," after its sweeping domestic run, expanded its release into overseas markets starting June 18.
What emerges from its tender portrayal of family longing and transoceanic devotion is far more than a cinematic success: it is a vivid revival of the century-old grassroots ties that have bound Chinese diaspora communities to their ancestral homeland and anchored enduring friendship between China and their adopted country.
HUMAN BONDS KNOW NO BORDERS
Shot entirely in the Chaoshan dialect, the film draws its narrative core from "qiaopi," a unique historical hybrid of family letters and remittance receipts widely used by overseas Chinese migrants throughout the 20th century. These sealed documents bundled handwritten updates and hard-earned cash, serving as the major emotional and financial lifeline connecting scattered Nanyang migrants with families left behind in coastal Guangdong and Fujian Provinces.
The feature delicately depicts the bittersweet perseverance of early overseas Chinese, who upheld integrity, familial duty and unwavering hometown affection while striving to build lives abroad.
A massive domestic hit, "Dear You" has grossed over 1.9 billion yuan (about 279 million U.S. dollars) at the Chinese box office by June 28, winning nationwide acclaim for its understated yet piercing portrayal of human bonds.
Its overseas debut, however, has unlocked a deeper, cross-border resonance, particularly in Southeast Asian countries, which are home to some of the world's most established Chinese diaspora communities.
Peng Yuling, a Malaysian audience member who witnessed the prevalence of "qiaopi" in her younger years, said the film voices the unspoken feelings of countless overseas Chinese families.
Lim Teck, managing director of Clover Films, one of the movie's joint distributors in Singapore, said he was still thinking about the film long after watching it.
For him, the film works because of its attention to relationships -- between family members, lovers, friends, and people bound simply by shared origins. "I think it will move audiences everywhere, especially in Singapore," he said. "That is more powerful than anything else."
WITNESS TO TIME-HONORED CROSS-BORDER TIES
A single "qiaopi" bridges one separated family, while countless "qiaopi" weave the enduring interpersonal connections that form the bedrock of long-term China-Malaysia friendship and exchanges, said Chiew Choon Man, deputy minister of Malaysia's Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
This revived public fascination with "qiaopi" extends far beyond cinematic appreciation in Malaysia. A special exhibition on Fujian "qiaopi" collections has been on display at the Malaysian Chinese Museum since 2023, offering visitors an intimate glimpse into the lives of ordinary overseas Chinese.
Lin Jiahao, curator of the Malaysian Chinese Museum, said "qiaopi" archives preserve the most authentic records of early Chinese migrants' grassroots lives, serving as irreplaceable materials for studying overseas Chinese history and folk exchanges between China and Southeast Asia.
Liu Shunlai, a Brunei Chinese with ancestral roots in Chaoshan, organized the premiere event in Bandar Seri Begawan. Liu said the film has garnered far more enthusiastic feedback than expected, with numerous overseas Chinese eager to watch it.
"Through the stories on screen, we hope more people will understand the hardships our ancestors endured when they crossed the ocean to make a living in Southeast Asia, and inherit their perseverance and hardworking legacy," Liu said.
"I hope that through this film, more people can understand Chinese culture and Chinese stories, further play the role of films as a bridge of cultural exchanges, and enhance mutual understanding between different cultures," said Zhang Yikun, executive chairman of the Teochew International Federation, after watching the movie in New Zealand. Enditem
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