Lucy Liu Honoured with Réalta Award in Belfast
Actress Lucy Liu received the Réalta Award at the Belfast Film Festival for her role in the film Rosemead. The Charlie's Angels star expressed deep gratitude, describing Belfast as a "magical" city and reflecting on her experience filming Old Guy there two years ago.
"I was really touched to be honoured here," Liu told the PA news agency. "To actually live here for that month is different than just coming to visit. I felt very connected to the community, and everyone on the crew was very warm and full of joy."
Liu highlighted the rich history of Northern Ireland and Belfast’s remarkable transformation, observing that "there’s a story behind everything."
About the Film Rosemead
Rosemead is based on a true story and follows Irene Chao, an immigrant widow with terminal cancer, whose teenage son struggles with mental health issues. The film is set in the Chinese American community of Rosemead, California.
Liu emphasized that the story's themes extend beyond that community, noting the widespread stigma surrounding mental health worldwide.
"There’s still a lot of stigma around mental health in so many places around the world," Liu said.
She was shocked to discover that the real events happened as recently as 2015 and described the tragedy as avoidable.
"There was a lot of fear for this mother, and she loved her son so much. I really tried to come from a place of love and to understand how difficult it must have been for her to make that choice."
The film and award highlight important conversations around mental health and community connection.
Author's summary: Lucy Liu was honoured in Belfast for her role in Rosemead, a film addressing mental health stigma through a heartfelt true story set in a Chinese American community.