The Guangdong-produced film "Dear You" recently held its market screening during the 79th Cannes Film Festival, attracting extensive attention from international film distributors. After the screening, representatives from the UK, France and other countries expressed deep admiration for the film depicting the experiences of Guangdong people who journeyed to Nanyang (Southeast Asia) in pursuit of a livelihood.

Rooted in the culture of the hometowns of overseas Chinese in Lingnan, this Guangdong-produced film had already sparked enthusiasm in the domestic market, breaking market prejudices against low-and-mid-budget dialect films with its outstanding performance. Entirely performed in the Chaoshan dialect and featuring an all-non-professional cast, the film has no idols with massive followings for promotion, yet its authentic storytelling has won broad public acclaim. Since its release, its box office revenue has kept rising against market headwinds, ranking among the year's most popular Chinese-language films. It has exceeded 10 million viewings, and the total box office is projected to steadily rise above 1.3 billion yuan, setting a new benchmark for films centered on Chaoshan-themed stories.

Centered on qiaopi (overseas Chinese remittance letters) added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, "Dear You" focuses on the warm story of a Chaoshan grandmother's decades of waiting. It meticulously reconstructs the hardships faced by Guangdong residents who journeyed to Nanyang for work in modern times, as well as the patriotic feelings of overseas Chinese who wander abroad yet care deeply about their hometown and families. The film preserves the rich cultural characteristics of Chaoshan while containing universally relatable emotions—an essential factor in its ability to cross cultural boundaries and resonate with international audiences.

This Cannes appearance marks the first time the Guangdong-produced film has been presented on an international stage, and the first time that qiaopi culture has been showcased to the world through cinema. Among the crowds queuing for the screening were international film distributors, critics, and local overseas Chinese. Many viewers lingered after the screening, openly expressing how deeply they were moved by the film's portrayal of attachment and longing across oceans and mountains.

《给阿嬷的情书》戛纳国际电影节放映，片商排长龙

广东出品的电影《给阿嬷的情书》近日在第79届戛纳电影节期间进行了市场放映，引发大量国际片商关注。放映活动后，来自英国、法国等地的片商代表，表达了对这部讲述广东人“下南洋”历史电影的极度喜爱。

这部扎根岭南侨乡文化的粤产影片，此前已在国内影坛掀起观影热潮，用实力打破了市场对中小成本方言电影的偏见。作为一部全程采用潮汕方言、启用全素人演员的作品，它没有流量明星加持，却凭借真实的故事质感收获全民青睐。上映以来，影片票房持续逆势上扬，成功跻身年度华语影片热门行列，观影人次突破千万大关，预测总票房稳步攀升至13亿元以上，创下潮汕题材电影的市场新高度。

《给阿嬷的情书》以世界记忆遗产“侨批”为叙事核心，聚焦潮汕阿嬷半生守望的温情故事，细腻还原了近代广东民众“下南洋”谋生的艰辛历程，以及海外华侨漂泊异乡却心系故土、牵挂家人的家国情怀。影片既保留了浓郁的潮汕地域文化特色，又蕴含着全人类共通的情感内核，这也是其能够跨越文化隔阂、打动国际观众的关键。

此次亮相戛纳电影节，是这部粤产影片首次登上国际舞台，也是侨批文化首次通过光影形式向世界展示。现场排队观影的人群中，既有各国电影发行商、影评人，也有当地华人华侨，不少观众在观影后久久不愿离场，直言被影片中跨越山海的牵挂深深打动。

文｜记者 李丽
图｜片方提供
译 | 郑书悦
审 | 曾敏