The RAS is pleased to announce the next film screening: on 3 June, we will watch Dearest, a thrilling drama with a deep humanist touch produced by renowned director Peter Ho-San Chan (陈可辛) from Hong Kong.

Tian Wenjun, a migrant from Shaanxi, lives with his three-year-old son in Shenzhen. His ex-wife, Lu Xiaojuan, is married to another man of better economic standing. One day, his son suddenly goes missing. After years of fanatically searching for him, Tian finally receives a message on his phone directing him to a remote village in Anhui.

A year later, his son's illegal foster mother comes to Shenzhen, determined to find the boy and win the custody of her daughter, whom she has also lost. There two worlds begin to confront and collide – rural Anhui vs. metropolitan Shenzhen, migrant workers vs. city dwellers, love and bonds to one's children as opposed to the law. In addition to the riveting narrative of this complex drama, the film explores bigger social topics and poses moral questions about phenomena that exists in China's modern transformation.

Despite being from Hong Kong, Director Peter Chan is a household name in the Mainland. He is prolific in producing films relevant to Greater China and demonstrates a unique ability to create socially conscious art that is widely appealing to the different audiences. Dearest was first screened at the 71st Venice Film Festival in 2014 and won multiple awards thereafter, including the Best Script and Best Actress Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2015.