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 how moved she was to accept the award in what she called a "magical" city, reflecting on the time she spent filming Old Guy in Belfast two years earlier.
"I was really touched to be honoured here. 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 was deeply impressed by Northern Ireland’s history and Belfast’s transformation, emphasizing that "there’s a story behind everything." Her latest film, Rosemead, is based on a true story and follows Irene Chao, an immigrant widow with terminal cancer, while her teenage son faces mental health struggles within the Chinese American community of Rosemead, California.
She highlighted the film’s universal themes, noting the ongoing stigma around mental health worldwide.
"There’s still a lot of stigma around mental health in so many places around the world."
Learning that the real events inspiring the film occurred as recently as 2015, Liu described the tragedy as "preventable."
"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."
Summary
Lucy Liu’s award honours her heartfelt role in Rosemead, a film highlighting mental health challenges and family struggles within an immigrant community.