A Chinese film,Dear You,has become a box office hit in China and sparked debate about cultural identity in Singapore. movie,telling poignant story of family and migration,is mainly in Teochew, a dialect from China's Chaoshan region,still spoken by some older generations in Southeast Asia.
But in Singapore,many viewers were upset to find most screenings dubbed in Mandarin,standard language in China and Singapore. Wu Silin, a church worker and Teochew speaker, voiced frustration,saying watching in original dialect added depth. She and her mother caught one of just eight special Teochew screenings,sold out in under two hours .
This has triggered questions about Singapore's long-standing push for Mandarin over other Chinese dialects. Aimed at unifying the community, it’s led to decline of dialects like Teochew, Hokkien, Cantonese. Critics say it's marginalized these languages,edging them toward extinction .
In response,Singapore's information ministry acknowledged demand for more dialect films, promised a flexible approach to screenings. More Teochew showings were quickly organized,nearly 5,000 tickets selling out fast.
The film resonates with Singaporeans,many seeing it as a mirror of their histories. Set during significant Chinese migration to Southeast Asia,Dear You follows a young man searching for his grandfather, who fled China in 1948 to escape civil war. Its exploration of identity through dialect highlights cultural roots of Singapore's Chinese population,over 70% of nation .
Lee Cher Leng,associate professor at National University of Singapore, stressed dialects as heritage links,saying Mandarin often viewed as imposed through education. The decline stark; in 1980s, almost 70% of Chinese Singaporeans spoke dialects at home, by 2020 just 8.7%.
Despite government's push for Mandarin, more young Singaporeans want to reconnect with roots. Some learn dialects, explore ancestral homes in China. Yet, experts like Tan Ying Ying from Nanyang Technological University doubt trend reversal. She noted that while young people may learn dialects for fun, lack of daily use makes sustaining them tough.
Conversation around Dear You has caught attention,including politicians. Opposition MP Dennis Tan called dialects vital cultural heritage. As talks go on,many urge policy reevaluation on dialect decline in Singapore.
For many,film's more than entertainment; it’s a yearning for a fading cultural connection. Wu Silin noted traditions tied to these dialects also at risk. "Leaving the garden," a Teochew coming-of-age celebration, is one tradition disappearing. This cultural loss, she suggests, weighs heavily on those wishing to preserve heritage…
