11 September 2026
On Tuesday, students learning Chinese, went on an excursion to watch Dear You, a Chinese film at Eastend Palace Nova.
The movie follows a middle-aged man named Xiaowei who needs money to pay off his debts. His grandma has spent years living off old letters and money sent by her husband, who left for Southeast Asia back in the 1950s and never came home. Everyone assumes the grandpa made it big overseas and found a new wife and family. Xiaowei travels to Thailand to track him down, hoping to find his rich granddad for money to pay off his debts. But what he actually finds is way more complicated and emotional than he expected as he discovers the truth about who has been writing letters back to Grandma all these years.
What starts out as a story about chasing money slowly turns into something a lot deeper. As Xiaowei digs into the truth of his family, the film unpacks a misunderstanding that’s been passed down across three generations, and it becomes less about the money and more about the themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and what people are willing to do to protect the people they love. Without spoiling it, the ending is bittersweet leaving students and teachers in tears and leaves you thinking about it long after it ends.
The movie also gave us a real look into a part of Chinese history about the wave of migration to Southeast Asia during the 1950s, when men left mainland China to escape conscription and try to build a better life abroad. It made the whole story hit a lot harder knowing it was based on real experiences and separation that a lot of Chinese families actually went through.
After the film, we went to an authentic Shanghai restaurant nearby for dinner. The food was great, and we got to try a proper spread of Chinese dishes such as Braised Pork Belly（红烧肉, xiǎo lóng bāo（小笼包 and glutinous rice balls served in a sweet fermented rice soup （酒酿汤圆）for dessert. The food was really good, and the 红烧肉 was definitely a highlight for me. While we ate, we all discussed the movie, comparing thoughts and talking about the scenes that stuck with us most.
I look forward to these Chinese excursions every year, as it reminds me why I study Chinese, to be able to learn and experience rich Chinese culture. Thanks to our teachers and school for organising the trip and to everyone who came along and made it such an enjoyable excursion. Although the movie left us all feeling a little sad, we walked away with a new appreciation for Chinese cinema and culture.
Lucas Willson
Year 11 Chinese Language Student HWD
