KwanTeo Film Archive · Work
Overseas Chinese
海外寻夫Overseas Chinese, made in 1950, is a film about the lives of Chinese migrants in Southeast Asia. Adapted from a stage play, it exists in Mandarin and Teochew-dubbed versions.
About the Work
Overseas Chinese approaches migration through a family story set against life in Southeast Asia. The film used locations in Siam and Shantou for exterior scenes, while interior scenes and production work took place in Hong Kong. Its Mandarin and Teochew versions addressed audiences across those connected places.
Everyday details—wooden clogs, rice-noodle soup, tea carried abroad—give the film's depiction of Chaoshan life its texture. KwanTeo brought the film back to the screen in Shantou as part of a classic-film programme in 2024.