SYDNEY, June 23 (Xinhua) -- China's word-of-mouth hit film "Dear You" held its Australian premiere in Sydney on Tuesday, with a full theatrical release across Australia scheduled for Thursday.
The premiere was co-hosted by the Australian Chinese Teo Chew Youth Association Incorporated and CMC Pictures, the film's distributor in Australia, drawing an audience of about 1,300 people.
"The film vividly captures the core traits of the Chaoshan people," said Wang Yu, Chinese consul general in Sydney. "The seemingly ordinary details of daily life depicted in the film form the warmest and most moving spiritual foundation of traditional Chinese culture."
Du Ting, president of the Australian Chinese Teo Chew Youth Association Incorporated, said the event was not merely a film screening, but a vivid testament to the bonds of kinship and culture that connect Chaoshan communities around the world.
"I believe overseas Chinese who watch this film will be deeply moved," said audience member Qi Xin, her voice choked with emotion. "It tells a very delicate story. It captures our longing for home and the warmth of human connection."
"I think it's a very beautiful movie," said James Bradley, a film producer and director from Sydney, adding that the "very tender story" has a lot of history that he didn't know about Chinese people in Southeast Asia. "Cinematography was lovely, acting was very good, and it was a very moving, emotional story."
According to Duan Wei, assistant director of CMC Pictures, the premiere set a record for the largest audience turnout for a Chinese-language film premiere in Australia. The film will cover major Australian cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. ■
