The Teochew-dialect film Dear You, which has grossed 1.7 billion yuan, is set for release on Thursday (Jun 18) and has attracted strong support at its Hong Kong premiere.
The premiere screening in Tsim Sha Tsui last Saturday (Jun 12) was attended by many stars, including Hong Kong actor and singer Andy Lau Tak-wah, who showed up in support of the film.
Separately, Dr Albert Yeung Sau-shing, Chairman of Emperor Group and President of the Federation of Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community Organizations, hosted a screening at Emperor Cinemas in Times Square. He said the film’s use of the Teochew dialect and its portrayal of overseas Chinese culture give it a strong sense of authenticity and cultural resonance.
Dear You is a Teochew-dialect family drama rooted in the culture of overseas Chinese communities. At the center of the story is the tradition of qiaopi — handwritten letters and remittances sent by overseas Chinese workers to their families back home — which anchors a multigenerational narrative of family ties and migration. The film has been praised for its restrained storytelling, allowing emotion to build gradually rather than relying on overt sentiment.
One of China's biggest cinematic surprises of 2026, the film was produced on a budget of about 14 million yuan yet defied expectations after opening with less than 2 percent of showtimes, relying almost entirely on word of mouth to reach 1.7 billion yuan in ticket sales as of June 16.It will also be released in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, the United States, Japan and New Zealand.
For Hong Kong's estimated 1.2 million residents of Teochew descent — roughly one in six Hongkongers — Dear You may strike a chord far deeper than most films can reach, speaking to an audience for whom the story of separation, longing and letters sent across the sea is not history, but lived memory.
