SINGAPORE – The recent decision to screen the Mandarin-dubbed version of Chinese movie Dear You (2026) for general release here has become a hot topic of discussion among Singaporeans, with several film-makers weighing in on the issue.
On June 19, The Straits Times published a letter from film-makers Eric Khoo, 61, and Jack Neo, 66. They hoped the authorities would set out a new direction “beneficial to the stakeholders” in Singapore’s film industry.
The indie work’s original Teochew version premiered on June 17 at Sands Theatre and will be made available for subsequent festival and niche screenings.
The Infocomm Media Development Authority has said these moves are in line with the current approach to support the bilingual policy, which aims to promote Mandarin as the main language among Chinese Singaporeans. Full dialect films can be screened at festival or niche events to provide access to such content for those who wish to view the film in its original language.
Khoo and Neo wrote that screening a dialect film is no different from screening a French or Malay film. “Dialect films are not an issue on home videos and streaming platforms and even on board airplanes, so why should cinemas continue to bear the brunt of this outdated policy?”
Since there is demand for Dear You to be screened in Teochew, local operators and distributors should be allowed to convert this high demand into commercial success, they added.
Several other film-makers also favour watching Dear You in Teochew. Boo Junfeng, 42, who has seen the Teochew version, said he would not watch the Mandarin-dubbed version as it diminishes the authenticity of the film.
The director of local films Sandcastle (2010) and Apprentice (2016) said: “Most of my friends and family members do not understand why a policy like this still exists in Singapore.”
Boo, who is Hokkien, acknowledged that his ability to speak English and Mandarin is a product of the bilingual policy. “The policy has served its purpose but I think it is time to move on from it. Being able to watch films in their original Chinese dialects is not going to erode our ability to be bilingual,” he added.
Film-maker Royston Tan, 49, intends to travel to Malaysia to watch the original Teochew version.
The director of local films 24 (2021) and 3688 (2015) said: “I want to experience Dear You as it was intended. The language is an important part of the story and I would prefer to watch it in its original form rather than a dubbed version.”
Although the bilingual policy has benefited Singaporeans in many ways, it has also unintentionally led to the decline of dialects, he said. “As Singapore continues to evolve, we should find a better balance between maintaining the strengths of bilingualism and preserving our linguistic heritage.”
Kelvin Sng, who directed local films The Fortune Handbook (2017) and King Of Hawkers (2024), said his friends have mixed views on the issue. The 52-year-old said: “Some feel Mandarin makes the film more accessible to a wider audience, especially younger Singaporeans who may not understand Teochew. Others feel something is lost when a dialect film is dubbed, particularly when the story is deeply rooted in Teochew culture and traditions.”
While he has no issues with watching the movie in Mandarin, he said that from a film-making perspective, language is more than just a communication tool.
“It carries culture, emotion, rhythm and identity. If a story is conceived in Teochew, I believe there is artistic value in allowing audiences the option to experience it in its original language.”
Huang Junxiang, producer of local films Tiong Bahru Social Club (2020) and Ramen Teh (2018), has seen the Teochew version, but would also watch the Mandarin-dubbed version “begrudgingly”.
The 38-year-old said: “A dub removes the nuances of the actor’s performances and the context of many Nanyang immigrants during the era.
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“Is the policy effective? I do not think people will stop speaking Mandarin because of dialects in movies. In fact, it may spur more interest in Chinese culture and Mandarin.”
After watching Dear You in Teochew, film-maker, cartoonist and lawyer Colin Goh wrote a Facebook post urging others to “try to watch it in Teochew, not the ridiculous Mandarin dub”.
The 55-year-old, who is Teochew, said the film was a thoughtful, highly entertaining piece of film-making.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
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