Golden Village adds 8 more screenings of 'Dear You' in Teochew, cites 'overwhelming demand'

Chinese film "Dear You", which landed in Singapore's cinemas on Jun. 18, will see eight additional local screenings in its original Teochew dialect.

It will be screened from Jun. 25 to Jun. 29 at GVmax, Golden Village VivoCity, said the cinema operator.

A spokesperson from Clover Films, the movie's Singapore distributor, cited "overwhelming audience response" for the decision.

It also thanked the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) for allowing the additional Teochew screenings.

Ticket sales will commence from 3pm on Jun. 22 via all Golden Village box office counters and online sales channels.

Overwhelming demand

Previously, Golden Village and Clover Films announced on Facebook that there would be limited screenings of the film in the original Teochew version at VivoCity from Jun. 18 to 21.

4,800 Teochew-version tickets were released on Jun. 16, and reportedly sold out within two hours, according to The Straits Times.

While mainly filmed in the Teochew dialect, the film is dubbed in Mandarin for its general release in Singapore.

IMDA explained that full-dialect films can be screened at festivals or niche events, to provide access to those who wish to view the film in its original language.

"This continues to support the bilingual policy which aims to promote Mandarin as the main language amongst Chinese Singaporeans," IMDA told Mothership.

Films that feature dialect content are allowed only on a case-by-case basis, ST reported.

Dialect heritage

The move to dub local screenings of the film has since sparked conversation online about Singapore's dialect heritage.

In a Facebook post, Workers' Party's Hougang MP Dennis Tan called for the preservation of the nation's dialect heritage, citing dialects like Teochew and Hokkien as the language of communication among many of his residents at Hougang.

"I have come to believe that our dialect group heritage is as much a part of our Singaporean Chinese cultural heritage as any of the customs we more readily celebrate."

Meanwhile, PAP's Bishan-Toa Payoh MP Cai Yinzhou wrote in a Facebook post that in the light of many residents' disappointment about the dubbing choice, he had filed parliamentary questions to the Ministry of Digital Development and Information to clarify the decision.

"I ask this as language carries culture. Dialects and language nuances are part of how stories are told and remembered," he said.

The film

The movie, which features primarily Teochew dialogue, is director Lan Hong Chun's third such feature film.

It follows the story of Xiaowei, who travels to Thailand to find his "billionaire grandfather," who has been out of contact due to debt problems.

Lan and his team interviewed more than 120 seniors in the Chaoshan region who migrated to Southeast Asia to ensure the movie was historically accurate, ST reported.

As of Jun. 17, it has grossed 1.6 billion yuan (S$303.5 million) in China despite its modest budget of 14 million yuan (S$2.66 million) and largely unknown cast.