This photo taken on Sept. 8, 2026 shows the Italian screening of the Chinese film "Dear You" in Venice, Italy. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)
VENICE, Italy, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- A Venice theater echoed with voices from southern China's Chaoshan region on Tuesday afternoon, as more than 150 Chinese and Italian viewers gathered to watch "Dear You."
The film was screened at the M9 Museum in Mestre, Venice, as part of a Chinese-language film promotion program held during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
The film, known in Chinese as "Love Letters to Grandma," centers on the tradition of "qiaopi," remittance letters sent by early migrants to their hometowns to support their families. Through a letter that spans time and distance, the film explores family, homesickness and attachment to one's roots.
Actress Li Sitong of the Chinese film "Dear You" attends its Italian screening in Venice, Italy, Sept. 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)
For actress Li Sitong, the journey to Venice was almost as moving as the film itself. "We never imagined when we were making the film in Chaoshan that it would travel this far," Li said after flying more than 10 hours to attend the screening in Venice.
Featuring many non-professional actors and everyday imagery, the film portrays the memories and experiences of ordinary families and struck a chord with Italian viewers.
Laura Fincato, a former Italian deputy foreign minister and former deputy mayor of Venice, said the experiences depicted in the film resonated with many Italians.
"Many Italians and many Venetians also went to distant countries to look for a better future," Fincato told Xinhua. "They left a piece of their heart there."
Both Chinese and Italian migrants have sought to preserve their identities while building new lives abroad, she said, adding that cinema can play an important role in strengthening cultural ties between the two countries.
"Technology is important, but above all there must be humanity," she said. "This is a film of great humanity."
For Qin Shasha, Tuesday's screening was her second time watching "Dear You," but she said she was just as moved as she had been during her first viewing.
People watch the Chinese film "Dear You" during its Italian screening in Venice, Italy, Sept. 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)
"It feels different watching it overseas," she said, expressing hope that more Chinese films would be screened abroad and that more Chinese stories would reach international audiences.
Chinese Consul General in Milan Zhang Chenggang said the film could resonate strongly with Italy's Chinese community, estimated at around 310,000 people. Many members of the community are familiar with the experience of building a life far from home while maintaining close ties with their families and cultural roots.
The Venice Film Festival's Chinese-language program featured film screenings, industry exchanges and discussions. Alongside "Dear You," the Chinese film "The Ballad of a Soldier" was also screened.
The Venice Film Festival, which runs through Sept. 12, was first held in 1932. Together with the Cannes Film Festival in France and the Berlin International Film Festival in Germany, it is regarded as one of Europe's three major film festivals.
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