After its massive box office success in China, the tear-jerking film "Dear You" is now making waves across the Pacific, striking a powerful emotional chord with viewers across Canada since its North American release this month.
Known in Chinese as "Love Letters to Grandma," the low-budget, regional-dialect film has become one of China's most unexpected box office sensations, grossing over 2 billion yuan (about 300 million U.S. dollars) domestically.
The film follows a Teochew (Chaoshan) grandmother's decades-long wait for her husband, who left for Southeast Asia to make a living, and the grandson who journeys to Thailand to uncover the truth behind the letters that held the family together. Those letters, known as qiaopi, were the vital remittance notes that overseas Chinese sent home, carrying both financial support and personal messages on a single sheet of paper.
It hit theaters across 17 Canadian cities on Sept 4. In Vancouver, screenings are maintaining 60 to 70 percent occupancy, drawing audiences across generations.
At a screening on Thursday, audience members were moved to tears, particularly those of Chinese descent.
Young children said it reminded them of their own grandmothers. An elderly woman, originally from the Chaoshan region, said the film brought their ancestors' spirit to life on screen.
"I'm so proud to come from Chaoshan. I also want to thank these actors. They aren't acting at all. They have brought the spirit of our forebears, the early Chinese immigrants, vividly before our eyes. It was truly moving. I teared up several times," the viewer told CCTV.
Since its domestic release in late April, "Dear You" has taken its overseas run from Southeast Asia to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America.
Chinese hit film 'Dear You' moves Canadian viewers to tears
Former Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Razzaz has expressed the hope for greater tourism cooperation with China, saying his country offers magnificent landscape, rich historical heritage and a strong sense of safety.
Extending the invitation during an exclusive interview with China Media Group from Beijing, Razzaz shared a story of himself talking with one of his Chinese friends who traveled to Jordan.
"I asked a Chinese friend who visited Jordan as a tourist. And I said, so what did you think honestly, and she said, if I wanted to tell my Chinese brothers and sisters something, she said it would be that Jordan it's a beautiful nature, very different than anything experienced here. It's a very different history, people are very kind. And that was really a nice to hear her say and that it's a very safe place. You could walk in the street 12 in the morning or at three in the morning or three in the afternoon, and you're safe. It's like China in that sense, safety, and people are very welcoming," Razzaz said.
As travel between the two nations becomes easier with Jordan rolling out visa-issuance on arrival for Chinese citizens, Razzaz expressed his strong desire to see tourism act as a bridge to bring the people of Jordan and China closer together and deepening bilateral cultural exchanges.
"I'd like to welcome all Chinese people who are interested in understanding other cultures and understanding other communities and finding what's common between us all to visit Jordan and spend some time there. And the most important sites are Petra, which is one of the UNESCO top seven features and there are many others, the Dead Sea, Jerash, all these Roman cities that are ancient. And so, I'd like to extend an invitation to our Chinese partners and fellow citizens to come visit. And let's do much more of this than we have done in the past," said Razzaz.
Jordan's former PM expects greater tourism cooperation with China
