Lucy Liu Honoured with Réalta Award in Belfast
Actress Lucy Liu received the Réalta Award at the Belfast Film Festival for her performance in the new film Rosemead. The Charlie's Angels star said she was deeply moved to get the honour in a city she described as “magical.”
“I was really touched to be honoured here,” she 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 reminisced about filming in Belfast two years earlier for Old Guy and praised the city’s warmth and evolving spirit. She noted her fascination with Northern Ireland’s history, saying that there’s a story behind everything in the city’s transformation.
The Power of Storytelling in Rosemead
Rosemead is inspired by a true story and centers on Irene Chao, a Chinese American widow with terminal cancer whose teenage son struggles with his mental health. The film explores universal themes of love, loss, and cultural identity.
“There’s still a lot of stigma around mental health in so many places around the world,” Liu said.
She was deeply affected to learn that the real events behind the film occurred as recently as 2015, describing the tragedy as preventable.
“There was a lot of fear for this mother, and she loved her son so much,” Liu said. “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.”
Author’s Summary
Lucy Liu expressed gratitude for receiving Belfast’s Réalta Award, highlighting her emotional connection to the city and the real-life story of Rosemead that explores stigma, love, and human resilience.