Dear You brings cross-strait memories to Taoyuan Film Festival

(ECNS) -- Chinese film Dear You will make its Taiwan debut in August in Special Screening section of the Taoyuan Film Festival, with tickets snapped up shortly after sales opened on July 27. 

Visitors take photos at a special exhibition about the movie "Dear You" in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, May 10, 2026. (Photo: China News Service/ Chen Chuhong)

The Teochew language film tells the story of overseas Chinese families and their enduring ties to home. Made on a modest budget, it became a sleeper hit, grossing more than 2.1 billion yuan ($29.6 million) by July 21.

Taiwan film industry figures said the success reflects the power of word of mouth. “Good works carry their own traffic,” said Chen Zhongqi of the Taipei Multimedia Production Association. He noted the film's focus on ordinary lives and genuine emotions resonated with audiences.

Documentary director Zhang Zhaowei said the film evokes collective memories of migration and homesickness, while media professional Zhang Junkai added that the linguistic closeness of Teochew and Taiwanese Hokkien makes the film especially relatable. 

(By Helen Mo, intern Liu Shuangjing)