'Dear You' fills SE Asian audiences with love and nostalgia

The acclaimed film Dear You made its Thailand preview screening in July, bringing an exploration of heartwarming diaspora narratives to Southeast Asian audiences following its theatrical success in China.

Thai Minister of Culture Sabeeda Thaised praises the film as a vital cultural medium for conveying filial piety and celebrating the enduring ties with China.

She highlights that Thailand-China relations extend far beyond diplomacy into daily traditions, family devotion, and shared values, built on over 50 years of formal bilateral relations.

The movie, known in Chinese as Love Letters to Grandma, centers on remittance letters that overseas Chinese used to stay connected with their families in China. Through these letters, the characters uncover memories, love and interconnected family bonds in a simple yet deeply genuine narrative.

While the story of long-lost letters originates in China, its themes of nostalgia and generational sacrifice hold personal resonance for Thailand's vast Tio Chew-heritage (from Chaozhou, Guangdong province) population, she notes.

The minister also emphasizes the importance of cinema as a vehicle for international goodwill, reaffirming the Thai government's commitment to film as a cultural asset capable of driving social and economic value while deepening artistic collaboration between both countries.

"This film is an authentic mirror of our ancestors' struggles and a testament to the longstanding bond between Thailand and China," says San Chuapanyavit, vice-president of the Tio Chew Association of Thailand, who makes a brief appearance in Dear You.

As a third-generation Thai-Chinese, he says this story brought back vivid memories of his father sending "qiao pi" (remittance letters) in Bangkok's Chinatown.

"I was glued to the screen without blinking. Despite considering myself a tough person, tears came to my eyes because the story touches the very soul of the overseas Chinese diaspora," he says.

Stressing the significance of the film's linguistic heritage, he notes that watching it in the original Tio Chew soundtrack carries a depth of emotion and cultural nuance that subtitles alone cannot convey.

"It honors the legacy of generations who crossed oceans under severe hardship to establish deep roots in Thailand, contributing immensely to Thai society while keeping their familial ties alive across generations," he adds.

The film was set for a Thai nationwide release on Aug 6, offering screenings in the original Tio Chew dialect with Thai, Chinese and English subtitles, and a Thai-dubbed one.

The film also premiered in Vietnam's southern hub, Ho Chi Minh City, in earlier this month, ahead of its nationwide theatrical release in Vietnam.

The premiere was jointly organized by Vietnamese distributors Mockingbird Pictures and Galaxy Studio, with support from the China Cultural Centre in Hanoi.

Doan Thi Trang Anh, deputy CEO of Mockingbird Pictures, says securing the distribution rights for Dear You in Vietnam was a special opportunity for the company and expresses hope that it could bring more Chinese films to Vietnamese audiences.

Vietnamese actress of Chinese descent Tu Ho says she felt a personal connection to the film, recalling that her grandmother often told her stories about qiao pi her great-grandmother sent home from Vietnam.

"I've already prepared tissues (for the screening) because I believe the film will bring back many memories through the stories my grandmother told me," she says.

Nearly 1,000 guests, including representatives of Vietnam's film industry, cultural scholars, members of the overseas Chinese community, representatives of Chinese enterprises in Vietnam, and media organizations, attended the premiere.

"I was impressed by the actors' performances and the film's balance of humor and emotion," Vietnamese director Le Thien Vien says, adding that despite its long running time, the film kept audiences fully engaged throughout.

The director notes that Dear You inspired him and would provide creative motivation for his next project.