You Mean The World To Me was initially meant to be produced as a motion picture. Instead, it found its way into the theatre scene, where it became a successful stage play and caught the attention of film investors.
You Mean The World To Me was shot entirely in Penang, featuring notable locations such as the United Hokkien Cemetery in Paya Terubong, Eden Restaurant on Hutton Lane, China House (the longest café in Penang), Pykett Methodist Primary School on Westland Road, and Love Lane.
The spoken language of the film is Penang Hokkien. A Penang Hokkien coach was brought on set to instruct non-native speakers on the quirks and characteristics of the language.
Penang's first cinema, the Majestic Theatre, is featured in the opening scene of the film, but on the first day of filming, the building was flooded. Cleanup took the crew six hours before they could resume filming.
The Hokkien-language film is a very personal, semi-autobiographical story based on Saw's own family history as well as his estranged relationship with his late mother.