KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Dear You has emerged as one of China’s biggest surprise box-office successes of the year, with its emotional tale of migration, family and shared South-east Asian heritage striking a chord far beyond mainland China.
First released in mainland China on April 30, the film has grossed more than 1.5 billion yuan (RM893.37 million) against a modest 14 million yuan production budget, making it one of the year’s most remarkable sleeper hits.
The story explores the Teochew (Chaoshan) diaspora, cross-border migration across South-east Asia, and the historical practice of qiaopi — remittance letters sent by overseas Chinese migrants to their families back home.
Directed and co-written by Lan Hongchun, the film features a largely non-professional cast, including Li Sitong, Wang Yantong, Wu Shaoqing, Zheng Runqi and Wang Xiaohui, alongside Thai actress Usha Seamkhum.
A regional phenomenon
Malaysia is among the markets where the film has found strong success since opening on June 18.
Dear You has surpassed 110,000 admissions and grossed more than RM5.8 million locally, reflecting strong audience interest.
Its emotional storytelling and relatable themes of love, sacrifice and family bonds have been widely credited for driving its success.
The film’s impact was further highlighted when around 400 community members, teachers and students in Papar attended a special screening hosted by WSG Group managing director Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen.
According to the Daily Express, Wong praised the film for highlighting the sacrifices and contributions of the Chinese community in preserving mother-tongue education, while reinforcing the belief that education is key to a better future.
‘Dear You’ pop-up at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. — Picture by Ian Jeremiah Patrick
She added that the film carries particular significance for younger generations by helping them better understand the struggles and sacrifices of their ancestors.
Similar sentiments were echoed during the film’s British premiere in central London on June 20.
Huang Ping, executive chairwoman of the London Chinatown Chinese Association, said the film explores themes of family, homesickness and companionship among overseas Chinese communities.
She added that its message of enduring ties to family and homeland resonates across generations and borders, rooted in deeply held cultural values.
At the same event, actor Zheng Runqi, who portrays Xiaowei (Hiau-ui), appeared via video link and said many people from the Chaoshan region, as well as overseas Chinese communities, have built new lives across South-east Asia and Europe.
“I hope that hearing the familiar dialect in the film brings them a sense of happiness,” he said.
Wang Yantong stars as Zheng Musheng alongside Wang Xiaohui as the young Ye Shurou in ‘Dear You’. — Picture via YouTube/CMC Pictures
In Singapore, the film has also become a cultural phenomenon among Teochew-speaking audiences, earning praise for its portrayal of migration history, family sacrifice and the emotional weight of qiaopi letters passed across generations, according to the South China Morning Post.
As demand for Teochew-language screenings grew, Clover Films managing director Lim Teck announced additional screenings from June 25 to 29 after earlier sessions from June 18 to 21 sold out.
Behind the film
Speaking at the Singapore gala premiere on June 17 at the Sands Theatre, director Lan said he made Dear You to highlight how handwritten letters once carried a deeper emotional weight because of the long wait between sending and receiving them — a slower form of communication that has largely disappeared in the digital age.
Lead actors Wang Yantong, who plays Zheng Musheng, and Li Sitong, who portrays Xie Nanzhi, also described the production as unlike any they had experienced before.
Wang revealed that much of the dialogue was improvised.
“We did not follow the script most of the time.
“On set, the actors and director would discuss how the scene would go. We would set a general direction and then improvise,” he said.
Li, who has no formal acting training, said she relied on historical documents to understand the era and develop her character because she was unfamiliar with the period.
According to ThinkChina, Lan and his team also conducted extensive field research, including household visits and interviews with elderly Teochew speakers.
Community input and local resources also played a key role in shaping the production, allowing the filmmakers to maximise a modest budget through grassroots collaboration.
A Malaysian connection
One of the film’s lesser-known details is its soundtrack, which features Harapanku, performed by the late Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng.
The song is an adaptation of the Mandarin classic Nanyang Girl, written by a Malaysian and inspired by a girl from Penang.
Its inclusion further underscores the film’s cultural links between China and South-east Asia, echoing its themes of migration, identity and shared heritage.
Dear You is currently screening in more than 100 cinemas nationwide and continues to generate discussion on social media.
Audience reactions on GSC’s Instagram page reflect the enthusiasm surrounding the film, with one viewer writing:
“I hope that more and more dialect movies will be made in the future.
“Even if I can’t understand it, I still feel that language is the embodiment of the temperament and spirit of this land.”
