Dearest (2014 film)

Dearest
Dearest
	Theatrical release poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	親愛的
Simplified Chinese	亲爱的
Jyutping
Transcriptions
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping	can1 ngoi3 dik1
Southern Min
Bbánlám Pìngyīm	Tshin Ai E
Directed by	Peter Chan
Written by	Zhang Ji
Produced by	Jojo Hui
Starring	Zhao Wei ; Huang Bo ; Tong Dawei ; Hao Lei
Cinematography	Shu Chou; Yang Zhenyu
Edited by	Derek Hui
Music by	Leon Ko
Production; companies	We Pictures Limited; China Vision Media Group; Stellar Mega Films; Stellar Mega Pictures; Enlight Pictures; Real Thing Media; HB Studio; PULIN Production Limited
Distributed by	We Entertainment
Release dates	4 September 2014(TIFF); 26 September 2014(China); 13 November 2014(Hong Kong);
Running time	130 minutes
Countries	China; Hong Kong
Language	Mandarin
Box office	US$54.6 million

Last updated December 30, 2025

Dearest is a 2014 drama film directed by Peter Chan on kidnapping in China, based on a true story, starring Zhao Wei, Huang Bo, Tong Dawei, and Hao Lei.^[2] A Chinese-Hong Kong co-production, it was screened in the Special Presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.^[3]

Plot

Following years of unrelenting search, Tian Wenjun (Huang Bo) and ex-wife Lu Xiaojuan (Hao Lei) finally locate their abducted son in a remote village. After the boy is violently taken away from the village, the abductor's widow Li Hongqin (Zhao Wei) — the boy's foster mother — also loses her foster daughter to a state-owned orphanage in Shenzhen. Heartbroken, Li goes on a lone but determined journey to get her daughter back.

Cast

Zhao Wei as Li Hongqin
Huang Bo as Tian Wenjun
Tong Dawei as Gao Xia
Hao Lei as Lu Xiaojuan
Zhang Yi as Han Dezhong
Zhang Guoqiang as Qin Hao
Zhang Yuqi as Fan Yun
Zhu Dongxu
Yi Qing
Wang Zhifei

Production

Principal photography for Dearest took place in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Chengde.^[4] It began from January 2014 and concluded on 18 April 2014.

Portraying a rural mother, Zhao Wei spoke the Lower Yangtze Mandarin dialect (the predominant dialect in her hometown of Wuhu) rather than Standard Mandarin in the film.^[5]

Soundtrack

"Qin'ai de Xiaohai" (亲爱的小孩; "Dear Child") sung by cast members Huang, Tong, Zhao, Zhang Yi and Hao. It was originally sung by Su Rui as the theme song of the 1985 film The Unwritten Law .
"Mei Yi Ci" (每一次; "Every Time") sung by Huang. It was originally sung by Zhang Hongsheng as an insert song in the 1990 TV series Kewang .
"Yinxing de Chibang" (隐形的翅膀; "Invisible Wings") sung by Huang and parents of missing children. It was originally sung by Angela Chang in her 2006 album Pandora .

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
Award	Category	Nominee	Result
58th London Film Festival	Best Film	Dearest	Nominated
51st Golden Horse Awards	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Nominated
10th Chinese American Film Festival	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Won
15th Huading Awards	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Nominated
15th Huading Awards	Best Actor	Huang Bo	Nominated
21st Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards	Best Picture	Dearest	Nominated
	Best Director	Peter Chan	Nominated
	Best Screenplay	Zhang Ji	Won
	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Won
34th Hong Kong Film Awards	Best Picture	Dearest	Nominated
	Best Director	Peter Chan	Nominated
	Best Screenplay	Zhang Ji	Nominated
	Best Actor	Huang Bo	Nominated
	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Won
4th Chinese Cinephilia Society Awards	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Won
9th Asian Film Awards	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Nominated
5th China Youth Film Magazine Poll	Top Ten Pictures	Dearest	Nominated
	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Nominated
	Best Actress	Hao Lei	Nominated
5th Douban.com Movie Awards	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Won
5th Douban.com Movie Awards	Best Actress	Hao Lei	Won
6th China Film Director's Guild Awards	Special Jury Prize	Dearest	Won
22nd Beijing College Student Film Festival	Best Picture	Dearest	Won
	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Won
	Best Screenplay	Zhang Ji	Nominated
11th Guangzhou Student Film Festival	Most Popular Director	Peter Chan	Won
16th Huading Awards	Best Picture	Dearest	Won
	Best Director	Peter Chan	Won
	Best Screenplay	Zhang Ji	Nominated
	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Won
	Best Actor	Huang Bo	Nominated
15th Chinese Film Media Awards	Best Picture	Dearest	Nominated
	Best Screenplay	Zhang Ji	Nominated
	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Won
	Best Actor	Huang Bo	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actress	Hao Lei	Nominated
30th Golden Rooster Awards	Best Screenplay	Zhang Ji	Nominated
	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actor	Zhang Yi	Won
33rd Hundred Flowers Awards	Best Director	Peter Chan	Nominated
	Best Screenplay	Zhang Ji	Nominated
	Best Actor	Huang Bo	Nominated
	Best Actress	Zhao Wei	Nominated
	Best Supporting Actor	Zhang Yi	Nominated
	Best New Performer	Li Yiqian	Nominated

References

↑ "Weekly box office 20/10/2014 - 26/10/2014". english.entgroup.cn. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
↑ "《亲爱的小孩》本月开拍定档国庆". Shenyang Evening Post. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
↑ "Toronto Film Festival Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
↑ 陈可辛《亲爱的小孩》热拍赵薇村姑形象土掉渣 Archived 12 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine 1905.com 18 April 2014
↑ 《亲爱的》赵薇演农村妇女飙安徽方言 Sina.com 10 August 2014

External links

Dearest at IMDb
Trailer with English subtitles
In China, Dad Uses Social Media To Find Missing Boy - the story that the film is based on

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[1] "Weekly box office 20/10/2014 - 26/10/2014". english.entgroup.cn. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.

[2] "《亲爱的小孩》本月开拍定档国庆". Shenyang Evening Post. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2014.

[Indiewire-3] "Toronto Film Festival Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 22 July 2014.

[4] 陈可辛《亲爱的小孩》热拍赵薇村姑形象土掉渣 Archived 12 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine 1905.com 18 April 2014

[5] 《亲爱的》赵薇演农村妇女飙安徽方言 Sina.com 10 August 2014

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