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Asian cinema: Chinese films
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ReviewBack to Love movie review: the Teochew romance that paved the way for smash hit Dear You

Exploring family dynamics and modernity in a heartfelt Teochew romance, Lan Hongchun’s Back to Love charms with its cultural themes

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Zheng Runqi (right) and Lu Shan in a still from Back to Love (category IIB; Teochew, Mandarin), directed by Lan Hongchun. Zhong Shaoxian co-stars.
James Marsh

3.5/5 stars

Earlier this year, Lan Hongchun’s historical romance Dear You became a surprise smash hit at the box office – both in Hong Kong and especially in mainland China, where it has taken nearly US$300 million since April.
One key to the film’s success was its use of regional Teochew (Chiu Chow) dialogue, indigenous to eastern Guangdong and all too rarely featured on screen.

In a clear attempt to capitalise on that popularity, Lan’s earlier feature, Back to Love, makes a belated arrival in cinemas. Also playing out mostly in Teochew and featuring several of the same non-professional actors who went on to star in Dear You, this 2022 film is a more straightforward contemporary romance, but every bit as enchanting as its follow-up.

帶你去見我媽 7.30 (澳門) / 8.6 (香港) 情.常在

Echoing the premise of Stanley Kramer’s 1967 drama Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Back to Love follows Zekai (Zheng Runqi, one of the stars of Dear You), a Teochew man working in Shenzhen, as he returns home to Chaoshan to introduce his family to his fiancée, Jingshan (Lu Shan).

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