Singapore eases Teochew film screenings after 'Dear You' backlash
What's new: Officials signaled a more flexible approach to dialect-film approvals as Teochew screenings sold out within hours.
Singapore is reassessing long-running restrictions on Chinese dialects in public media after a dispute over the film "Dear You" triggered strong demand for screenings in its original Teochew. The Infocomm Media Development Authority had allowed general release only in a Mandarin-dubbed version, limiting the Teochew cut to festival and niche screenings. After public criticism, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information said it was open to more Teochew screenings, and authorities indicated they would take a more flexible approach to future applications. The debate has widened into a fresh test of language policy dating to the 1979 Speak Mandarin Campaign and whether those rules still fit Singapore in 2026.