Independent movie “Rosemead,” directed by Eric Lin and starring Lucy Liu, will open in theaters on December 5, but Denverites already sneaked a peek during the 48th Denver Film Festival on Saturday.
After being awarded the 2025 John Cassavetes Award in Denver on Saturday, Lucy Liu, who is also the movie’s producer, shared how “Rosemead” intends to break away from the industry’s tendency to typecast Asian actors.
“I think that when I came into the business of Hollywood, there was an exoticism that was required, or I guess it was something that people wanted,” Liu told the Denver Film Festival audience during a Q&A before the movie. “And I’ve never really thought of myself as exotic before. If anything, I thought, what? You know, if I looked like everyone else, you know, that was American, it would have been so much easier.”
Liu said that initially, she had an audition only once every few months, as roles were scarce. The narratives Hollywood considered suitable for Asian actors were extremely limited, focusing primarily on action and martial arts. And while those movies are entertaining, Liu said, they don’t allow for a broader range of stories.
“Our own personal stories are hidden and not brought to the surface because we don’t think there’s going to be an audience for it. But they should let us choose,” she said. “Whether you want to see it or you don’t want to see it, it’s your choice. But the fact that it’s not even there is not acceptable.”
In Eric Lin’s “Rosemead,” Liu plays the role of a Chinese immigrant mother who discovers that her schizophrenic teenage son, played by Lawrence Shou, has a fascination with mass shootings. The film received awards at the Bentonville, Locarno, Belfast, and Philadelphia film festivals, and resonated with international audiences in the United States and Europe.
“It shines a light on a lot of topics that a lot of people don’t even talk about with their friends, let alone at home.” Liu said she hoped “Rosemead” would spark honest conversations about issues that are often avoided due to a sense of shame.
When the film opens in December, it is set to prompt discussion about difficult topics and contribute to a more authentic and complex representation of Asian communities on screen. If the turnout at the Denver Film Festival is any indication, the audience for these stories is already there.