Written and directed by Yuncheng Chen, ‘Dear Son’ is a drama film that explores grief, mental health and alcohol dependency. Ian Kim stars as Jiahe, a young man who has retreated to an unhealthy lifestyle after the death of his mother. The Canadian short is partially in the Chinese language with English subtitles. A moving narrative that will resonate with many.

The 7-minute drama opens with Jiahe waking-up to a phone call from his girlfriend – voiced by Ruijie Liu. After wishing him a happy birthday, his girlfriend calls for his return home to visit his ailing father. Jiahe shows unconcern as he stubbles around his apartment – littered with alcohol bottles. Suddenly, a chap at the door results in the arrival of a gift. The narrative takes a poignant turn as he reads the attached letter – a message from his late mother. The letter acts as the catalyst for our protagonist to change his ways. Sherry Huang delivers a heartfelt performance as the mother.