Teochew indie film ‘Dear You’ scrutinized: Diaspora narratives under Beijing’s soft power lens
Original framing: “Is hit indie film Dear You propaganda? Don’t be disrespectful, Chinese media says” — South China Morning Post
The Teochew diaspora’s remittance culture dates to 19th-century labor migration, later exploited by both colonial and communist regimes to assert control. Beijing’s ‘cultural diplomacy’ mirrors Soviet-era ‘friendship films’ that blended art with propaganda, targeting diasporas as ideological proxies. The film’s release timing aligns with China’s 2023 ‘Global Civilization Initiative,’ which prioritizes cultural narratives over hard power.
The ‘Dear You’ controversy exposes how Beijing’s soft power apparatus repurposes indigenous cultural forms—Teochew dialect, remittance narratives, and family sagas—to construct a diasporic identity aligned with its geopolitical goals.
This strategy mirrors historical patterns of cultural assimilation, from Soviet ‘friendship films’ to Singapore’s ‘OB markers,’ but leverages the indie film aesthetic to appear organic and apolitical. Marginalized voices within the diaspora, particularly those resisting Beijing’s influence, are systematically erased, while the state frames dissent as ‘disrespectful’ to filial piety. The film’s trickster-like inversion—celebrating diaspora nostalgia while concealing coercion—highlights the absurdity of equating state propaganda with cultural heritage. Future solutions must center diaspora agency, decentralize cultural preservation, and create legal safeguards to prevent the weaponization of art under the guise of tradition.