Why did director Lan Hongchun choose to highlight handwritten letters?

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Director Lan Hongchun Highlighted Handwritten Letters to Emphasise Their Emotional Depth

Director Lan Hongchun chose to highlight handwritten letters in "Dear You" to underscore the profound emotional significance they held due to the extended time lag between their dispatch and arrival. This slower mode of communication, largely absent in today's digital landscape, served as a central thematic element in the film. The film itself has achieved considerable success, grossing over 1.5 billion yuan in mainland China against a production budget of 14 million yuan, and has resonated strongly in markets like Malaysia, where it garnered over 110,000 admissions and RM5.8 million locally.
The Significance of Slow Communication

The emphasis on handwritten letters in "Dear You" serves to highlight a communication method that is now largely archaic. The inherent delays in sending and receiving such correspondence amplified the emotional weight and anticipation associated with them, a sentiment Lan Hongchun sought to convey. This focus contrasts sharply with the instantaneous nature of modern digital communication. The film's exploration of the Teochew (Chaoshan) diaspora and the historical practice of qiaopi, remittance letters sent by overseas Chinese migrants, directly ties into this theme of delayed, yet deeply meaningful, communication.
Emotional Resonance and Audience Connection

The deliberate choice to feature handwritten letters contributes to the film's broader emotional narrative, which explores themes of migration, family, and shared heritage. This focus on a tangible, yet slow, form of communication taps into a sense of nostalgia and amplifies the emotional impact of the stories of separation and connection depicted. The film's success in various Southeast Asian markets, including Malaysia and Singapore, where it has been praised for its portrayal of migration history and family sacrifice, suggests that this thematic element has struck a chord with audiences.
Contrast with the Digital Age

By drawing attention to handwritten letters, director Lan Hongchun implicitly highlights the transformation in human connection brought about by the digital age. The long wait between sending and receiving a letter allowed for a different kind of emotional investment and reflection, a stark contrast to the immediate feedback loops of emails, texts, and social media. This deliberate artistic choice aims to remind audiences of a past era where communication was a more deliberate and emotionally charged act.

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Why did director Lan Hongchun choose to highlight handwritten letters?

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