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As a Hokkien speaker, there’s something glorious and poetic whenever you hear of something in Hokkien, especially because increasingly more and more would prefer to turn to the more useful and commercially viable Mandarin – given Malaysia’s proximity to other Mandarin-speaking nations, including Singapore and Taiwan. So, imagine my joy when I heard of the trailer, being partly in Hokkien with a mix of Mandarin.

If there’s one thing you should know, the amusement park(s) chosen for some of the shooting locations are in Johor Bahru. Obviously, with a Singaporean director at the helm of this film, the film first opened in Singaporean cinemas in August 2024, though the film had clinched the Audience Award in 2023 at the San Diego Asian Film Festival. It is also worth mentioning that the film was recognized at the 2024 Palms Springs International Film Festival and the Ho Chi Minh International Film Festival, with a few of its cast members awarded for their performances.

This 125-minute film will tug at your heartstrings, in a similar vein to How to Make Millions Before your Grandmother Dies. Against the backdrop of 1980s Singapore and a father’s desire to see his daughter well-equipped for a brighter future, you’ll feel nostalgic and be reminded of what’s it like to largely rely on letters to communicate with family, given the nature of phone calls, especially when that call is to a family member (or someone you consider close) overseas.

Of course, there are other sacrifices – and with sacrifices, come painful truths.

When much of our lives are app-driven these days, this film will serve as a wonderful break from screen-based messaging that can make you take for granted of what is truly in front of you – in the offline world.

There’s definitely pieces of Chinese culture, unique to the overseas Chinese and for those in the Southeast Asian region.  

To what extent would a parent lie to their child(ren)? And how much do you know of your child(ren), as parents?