Introduction to the Film Rosemead (Private Screening)

This event is sponsored by AAF, organized by OCA-WHV.

Rosemead is a drama film inspired by a true story reported by the Los Angeles Times in 2017. The film follows Irene, a terminally ill Chinese American immigrant mother living in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles. As her illness worsens, she discovers that her teenage son Joe is showing increasingly disturbing behaviors—an obsession with mass shootings, withdrawal, dark drawings, and emotional instability. Facing limited time and mounting fear, Irene must confront an impossible moral dilemma:

How far should a mother go to protect her child—and to protect others from him?

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Main Themes

• Mental health: The film explores youth psychological struggles and how families cope with them.

  
  

• Motherhood and sacrifice: A powerful portrayal of a mother’s love in the face of fear and uncertainty.

  
  

• Immigrant identity and cultural tension: The challenges within Asian immigrant families, including communication gaps and cultural expectations.

  
  

• Violence and societal issues: Joe’s fixation on mass shootings reflects broader concerns about violence in American society.

Cast & Crew

• Director: Eric Lin

• Writer: Marilyn Fu

• Producers: Lucy Liu, Mynette Louie, Andrew D. Corkin

• Starring: Lucy Liu (as Irene), Lawrence Shou, Orion Lee, Jennifer Lim, Madison Hu, James Chen

• Runtime: About 97 minutes

• Languages: English with some Mandarin

Lucy Liu not only stars in the film but also serves as one of the producers, delivering one of her most emotionally complex performances.

Critics praise the film for its sensitive handling of difficult subjects and for Lucy Liu’s powerful acting.