(Bandar Seri Begawan, 19th) Sponsored by well-known Bruneian entrepreneur Liu Shunlai, the movie “A Letter to Grandma” held its premiere last night to a warm reception.
Among those who attended the screening were Chinese Ambassador to Brunei Chen Xiaochun, embassy staff, leaders of the Chinese community, as well as Liu Shunlai’s relatives and friends.
In an interview, Liu Shunlai said that he had sponsored a total of 2,000 movie tickets, giving beneficiaries the opportunity to watch this historically significant work.
He expressed hope that the film would not only attract elders from the Chinese community but also help the younger generation gain a deeper understanding of the hardships faced by early Chinese immigrants to Southeast Asia, and to feel the spirit of their forebears who endured the arduous journey and struggled courageously. He especially recommended students and young people to watch the film, in order to learn about Chinese culture and the historical background of the Chaoshan region.
Currently active in Brunei’s business sector and Chinese community affairs, Liu Shunlai’s ancestral home is in Shantou, Chaozhou, Guangdong.
He said that the content of the movie felt very close to home, as his mother, Lin Suqing, also came to Southeast Asia from China to make a living.
According to stories told by his late mother, as a young woman she left her hometown by boat, with the journey lasting about twenty days or even nearly a month under tough conditions—she could only bring dry food to eat and slept in a cramped cabin, enduring great hardship before finally arriving in Singapore.
Liu Shunlai said that, like many early Chinese immigrants, his mother initially worked in jobs such as farming vegetables, raising chickens, and raising ducks upon arriving in Southeast Asia. Life was hard, but she always maintained a hardworking spirit, living frugally and sending money back home through “qiaopi” to support her relatives in China. This family history closely echoes the plot of the movie and has given him an even deeper understanding and appreciation of the struggles of his ancestors.
In an interview, Liu Shunlai said that he had sponsored a total of 2,000 movie tickets, giving beneficiaries the opportunity to watch this historically significant work.
He expressed hope that the film would not only attract elders from the Chinese community but also help the younger generation gain a deeper understanding of the hardships faced by early Chinese immigrants to Southeast Asia, and to feel the spirit of their forebears who endured the arduous journey and struggled courageously. He especially recommended students and young people to watch the film, in order to learn about Chinese culture and the historical background of the Chaoshan region.
Currently active in Brunei’s business sector and Chinese community affairs, Liu Shunlai’s ancestral home is in Shantou, Chaozhou, Guangdong.
He said that the content of the movie felt very close to home, as his mother, Lin Suqing, also came to Southeast Asia from China to make a living.
According to stories told by his late mother, as a young woman she left her hometown by boat, with the journey lasting about twenty days or even nearly a month under tough conditions—she could only bring dry food to eat and slept in a cramped cabin, enduring great hardship before finally arriving in Singapore.
Liu Shunlai said that, like many early Chinese immigrants, his mother initially worked in jobs such as farming vegetables, raising chickens, and raising ducks upon arriving in Southeast Asia. Life was hard, but she always maintained a hardworking spirit, living frugally and sending money back home through “qiaopi” to support her relatives in China. This family history closely echoes the plot of the movie and has given him an even deeper understanding and appreciation of the struggles of his ancestors.