118 mins Teochew / Chaoshan
SYNOPSIS
For years, Grandma Shurou from Chaoshan lived on the letters and remittances from her husband who left for Nanyang (“Southern Ocean” – a Chinese term historically used to describe Southeast Asia) to survive the war and never returned. When her debt-ridden grandson Xiaowei secretly travels to Thailand to find his rumoured “millionaire” grandpa, he returns with shocking news: his grandpa is long gone, and the person Grandma had exchanged letters with for years was a stranger. As Xiaowei digs deeper, a long-buried misunderstanding spanning three generations begins to unravel, revealing a truth that binds two families across time and borders.
THE EVENT
An evening of Teochew culture, tracing a heritage carried across the seas, from China to Nanyang, and now to London. The evening opens with a traditional Gongfu tea session with Zhudi and Shiyi from Yanwu, who specialises in Chaozhou (Teochew) Phoenix Mountain Dancong Oolong, a practice that Teochew migrants carried with them to Southeast Asia and back, becoming an enduring marker of identity for Teochew people at home and abroad.
17:00 – 18:30
Gongfu Tea Tasting, Qiaopi Archive Viewing and Letter Writing Workshop
Inspired by Dear You, this tea session brings together Teochew Gongfu tea, Qiaopi archive viewing and letter writing. Guests are invited to experience the traditions that accompanied Teochew communities across generations and borders: sharing tea, reading archival letters from the Liu family, and writing to someone they wish to reach.
18:30 – 20:30
Film Screening
This is followed by a screening of the 2026 hit Dear You 給阿嬤的情書 (2026), directed by Lan Hongchun and brought to you by Trinity CineAsia, which is inspired by true stories from the great migration of Chinese communities to Southeast Asia in the 1900s; a heartfelt family drama about the shared memories, unbreakable bonds, love, and sacrifices that connect across generations.
