【Epoch Times News on November 21, 2025】The independent film “Rosemead,” starring Chinese-American actress Lucy Liu and adapted from a true story, will premiere in New York on December 5th. The Asian American Physician Association Charity Foundation announced on November 19th that they will organize a free screening for the Chinese community on December 6th. The film’s Chinese-American producer Mynette Louie attended the press conference, sharing that this movie is the culmination of the creative team’s hard work.
The movie tells the story of a shocking murder case in the “Rosemead City” of Los Angeles County, where many Chinese people reside. The mother, played by Lucy Liu, is suffering from a terminal illness. Seeing her 17-year-old son, who has schizophrenia, becoming obsessed with school shooting news on TV, she makes a decision that normal people would find hard to confront… The film reflects an Asian family choosing silence and dealing with mental illness alone, but the decision made out of shame to seek help clearly proves to be wrong.
Mynette Louie, who teaches at Columbia College, mentioned that the film started production 8 years ago and has 16 investors, all of whom are Chinese. “Everyone involved in this movie has a personal experience related to mental health, whether it’s their own or their family’s,” she said. “I have never cried so much on set before.” She added, “The entire production process was filled with difficulties, as the story itself is heavy, after all, this is a tragedy. Fundraising was even more challenging, making it one of the toughest aspects.” She said that the release of the film has poured a lot of effort, with the aim of helping people reflect on how to deal with challenges related to mental illness.
Although the story of the film takes place in Southern California, a considerable part of the scenes were shot in Queens and Long Island due to tax exemptions from New York State. Both Mynette Louie and Lucy Liu are from New York City, born in Manhattan and Jackson Heights, Queens, respectively, so filming in their hometowns made them feel very familiar.
State Assemblyman Jin Duoxi and City Councilor Huang Minyi expressed at the press conference that the Asian community faces many pressures and challenges, especially after the pandemic. However, Asians often prefer not to openly discuss their issues, choosing to face them alone, making problem-solving more challenging. Board member of the Asian American Physician Association, Liu Yuching, stated that for mental illness, the primary concern is, of course, stabilizing severe mental health problems through medical means, but community and family-level preventive efforts are equally important.
Psychiatrist Zhang Jianping commented on the issues reflected in the plot, stating that it is crucial for families with members suffering from mental illnesses to improve their willingness to seek help. “Schizophrenia is a controllable disease, far from a death sentence. It is not like cancer fifty years ago or AIDS forty years ago, incurable diseases. The second point is that the character played by Lucy Liu is extremely worried that her son might carry out a mass shooting or similar violent acts. This once again reflects the existing prejudice in society – the belief that people with mental illness may become violent. However, the reality is that the tendency for violence or its occurrence in people with mental illness is actually lower than the general population… We can definitely help these patients.”
Huang Xueli, Executive Director of the Asian American Physician Association Charity Foundation, mentioned that the foundation has been working on Chinese mental health education and has provided mental training to 10,000 people over the years. With the premiere of the film in New York, they are organizing a free screening for the Chinese community to raise awareness of mental health. To reserve a seat, please text 917-916-6311. Seats are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Screening Time: December 6th (Saturday) at 1:00 pm, Location: AMC Lincoln Square 13 (1998 Broadway New York NY 10023).