A surprise Chinese box office success, Dear You, has sparked an unexpected debate in Singapore over language, cultural identity and the preservation of Chinese dialects.
The nostalgic film, set against the backdrop of Chinese migration to Southeast Asia, was filmed almost entirely in Teochew, a Chinese language still spoken by many older generations in Singapore and neighbouring countries.
Why the film caused controversy
When Dear You opened in Singapore, most cinema screenings were dubbed into Mandarin instead of being shown in their original Teochew language.
Many Singaporeans expressed disappointment, arguing that audiences should have been given wider access to the original version. Initial Teochew-language screenings sold out within two hours, prompting many people to call for additional showings. Authorities later approved dozens more original-language screenings.
Some moviegoers even considered travelling to neighbouring Malaysia to watch the film in its original language.
A wider debate about language
The controversy has reignited discussion about Singapore’s long-running Speak Mandarin Campaign, introduced in the 1980s to encourage Chinese Singaporeans to use Mandarin instead of regional Chinese dialects such as:
- Teochew
- Hokkien
- Cantonese
- Hakka
The policy successfully established Mandarin as the common language among Chinese Singaporeans, but critics argue it also accelerated the decline of these heritage languages.
According to official figures:
- Around 70% of Chinese Singaporeans spoke Chinese dialects at home when the campaign began.
- By 2020, that figure had fallen to 8.7%.
Government response
Following public criticism, Singapore’s information ministry said it had heard calls for greater flexibility and announced it would take a more flexible approach to screening films in their original dialects.
Why the film resonates
Dear You follows a young man searching for his grandfather, who fled southern China during the Chinese Civil War and settled in Thailand.
Because the story reflects the migration journeys of many Chinese families across Southeast Asia, many viewers see it as a reflection of their own family history. Watching it in Teochew adds emotional authenticity for audiences whose parents or grandparents spoke the language.
Experts’ views
Language scholars say the film has reopened an important conversation about cultural heritage.
While there is growing interest among younger Singaporeans in learning their ancestral dialects, researchers caution that preserving these languages will be difficult unless they are actively spoken in daily life—not simply studied as heritage languages.
The success of Dear You has therefore become more than a cinematic phenomenon; it has evolved into a broader discussion about identity, language policy, and preserving cultural traditions for future generations.
