Lucy Liu has announced that Rosemead, a film she stars in and produced, will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 6th. The film is based on the award-winning Los Angeles Times article, A Dying Mother’s Plan, and tells the “heartbreaking” true story of Irene, a Chinese immigrant mother grappling with her unstable teenage son’s escalating mental health crisis and his growing fixation on mass shootings.
Liu, known for her roles in Charlie’s Angels and Kill Bill, shared her enthusiasm for the project, which she has been working on for five years. Speaking about the importance of the film’s subject matter, she stated, “This heartbreaking, true story shines a light on how important it is to understand all aspects of mental illness, especially in Asian societies. I’m excited to be working with Eric and Marilyn to tell a story within our shared culture, and to bring attention to the terrible stigma attached to this disease that can cause individuals and families to become ostracized in their own communities, or in this case, lose their lives.”
The screenplay for Rosemead was penned by Marilyn Fu, who emphasized the significance of Asian representation in storytelling and described Liu as “the perfect conduit” for the lead role. “Creating important roles for Asian women is one of my driving forces as a screenwriter,” Fu explained. “Not only do we need to see people on screen who look like us, but who feel joy, who struggle, and who confront obstacles, like us. Lucy is a pioneer in showing the power in representation, and the perfect conduit for this complicated woman.”
“Rosemead” marks the feature directorial debut of Eric Lin, who has previously worked as a cinematographer on acclaimed films. He expressed his deep connection to the story, saying, “It beautifully depicts how mental illness, and the shame of it, tests the fierce bonds of a Chinese immigrant family. I’m beyond excited to work with Lucy and to see her bring her fearless talent to a challenging role that we haven’t seen her take on yet.”
For Liu, bringing Rosemead to the screen has been a deeply personal and persistent endeavor. Reflecting on the five-year journey, she explained, “Mental health is not something that’s discussed in a lot of cultures, and I can only speak for Asian culture, which is what this revolves around. It’s something that people are embarrassed about, ashamed of, and don’t want to recognize or acknowledge, and people are losing their lives because of that. To me, this is an important enough subject matter that it’s worth putting everything on the line [for] and putting it out there. Even if one person sees it, that’s all that matters.”
She further elaborated on the impact she hopes the film will have, stating, “If I saw this, and if I was struggling, I would feel seen by a crew of people [who] put themselves out there. The way that I grew up, I didn’t feel seen. It’s crucial to recognize that people are under a great deal of stress, but it also creates a tsunami effect on your children, family and everyone around you.”
Read more: Lucy Liu: The Hollywood Star’s Secret Artistic Side
Rosemead features a cast including Lawrence Shou, Orion Lee, Jennifer Lim, Madison Hu, and James Chen. The film’s premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival is anticipated to spark important conversations about mental health, cultural stigmas, and the power of inclusive storytelling in cinema.
