Rosemead

Irene came to the U.S. chasing the American dream. And she got it: she found love and married Charles. They had a beautiful boy named Joe and opened a successful printing business in Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Valley. But when cancer abruptly claims Charles, she struggles to hold on to the life they’ve made even as Joe struggles with schizophrenia. Like many Chinese people, Irene believes that a son’s troubles are a mother’s sole responsibility, and that mental illness is something to be ashamed of. Her isolation becomes both her shield and her prison. Then, bit by bit, she uncovers Joe’s growing obsession with mass shootings. Even as Joe’s psychotic episodes increase in alarming frequency, she continues to hide the truth about his condition from her closest friends. Joe’s mental state deteriorates further and Irene must race against her own failing health to ensure that he can have a future where he is not at risk of hurting himself, or worse, others. Inspired by an award-winning Los Angeles Times article by Frank Shyong, ROSEMEAD depicts a sprawling community and culture rarely ever seen in film: the Chinese diaspora in L.A.'s San Gabriel Valley. Featuring a transformative, tour-de-force performance by Lucy Liu, this timely story reckons with a myriad of urgent social issues, but ultimately, it is a heart-wrenching story about love: a son’s love for his parents, a mother’s love for her son, and the lengths she would go to protect him--even from himself.