Indie hit Dear You shows the power of storytelling over big budgets
The surprise hit, filmed on a shoestring budget and shot entirely in a southern Chinese dialect, has resonated strongly with audiences
The films that become big box-office hits often enjoy huge budgets and feature all-star casts. Some Hollywood blockbusters cost hundreds of millions of US dollars.
The film was made on a shoestring budget of just 14 million yuan (US$2.06 million). The cast was mostly unknown before the film was released. It was filmed entirely in Teochew, a southern Chinese dialect.
Dear You has already grossed more than 700 million yuan and is projected to take 1.6 billion yuan, a record for a dialect film on the mainland. The film has enjoyed rave reviews, its popularity growing as plaudits spread by word of mouth.
The movie tells the story of a grandson searching for his grandfather from Chaoshan who emigrated to Thailand many years ago. It features the tradition of migrants from China regularly sending brief letters with small remittances to their family back home.
It is a story that has resonated strongly with film-goers at a time when interest is growing in China’s regional culture. The film also powerfully conveys the importance of maintaining family and community bonds. This has struck a chord.