Joan Chen on Queer Stories, Aging, and Her New Film Montreal, My Beautiful

Legendary actress Joan Chen discusses her latest role in Montreal, My Beautiful, her career longevity, and the importance of authentic queer Asian representation in cinema from Saving Face to today.

I enjoy the initial The Wedding celebration Reception. And when James Schamus sent me the script, he asked if I would desire to be part of it. I assume, in a way, I’m brought in to queer tales.

A New Chapter in Montreal

Composed and directed by Xiaodan He, Montreal, My Gorgeous tells the story of Feng Xia. Her life of peaceful task is upended when she fulfills Camille, a young Québécoise, on a dating app.

I wanted to begin our conversation by speaking about Preserving one’s honor. When that film was launched, queer Eastern stories were still rather rare on display. What do you remember concerning the social minute surrounding that film?

Sarah Williscraft is an English-speaking writer and podcast manufacturer based in Vancouver. They have reported on arts, environment, culture and wellness scientific research across Canada. Ask Sarah concerning films or the WNBA and she’ll speak for hours.

The Attraction to Queer Narratives

I believed that she composed such a stunning story. I assume, in a means, I’m attracted to queer stories. I assume you have endured all the challenges, you have actually conquered all the healths issues, you have endured all the losses and you’re still below. I believed from now on, I am old and life will proceed however young people is gone.

When I initially reviewed the script, I recognized I intended to do this movie. I intended to play her due to the fact that I seemed to know her and I had actually never seen any person like her on display. As an immigrant story, it was really a life that I understand very well. Our situations are really various however I know people like her, like myself, that left every little thing they understood. They uprooted themselves attempting to develop a home that they really felt was better for their youngsters.

I assume you have actually sustained all the hardships, you have dominated all the healths issues, you have actually withstood all the losses and you’re still below. Simply the reality that you’re still below standing and still fantasizing and hoping is something to flaunt about. And I think because I’m at this age, I’m actually a lot more comfortable dealing with the concern of wish.

I have no idea what other individuals think, and I do not think I can start to even believe concerning it.

I could feel a specific stirring in myself. And I can visualize the flexibility and the mixing of the heart that Feng Xia really feels. If you permitted yourself to look and to actually consider the charm of the city, you ‘d want to fall in love.

The Immigrant Perspective on Screen

Some individuals offer up their entire careers simply for survival. The personality of my spouse in the movie was an engineer. All that struggle, obligation, obligation and that feeling of exile and loss of leaving your mommy culture– I recognize very, very well.

Kinship and Queer Family Tales

Twenty years later, Chen locates herself returning to queer tales with a renewed depth and quality. Chen states she has long experienced being a minority in Hollywood and she really feels a kinship towards queer family tales such as Saving Face, Andrew Ahn’s 2025 remake of The Wedding celebration Reception and her most current movie, Montreal, My Beautiful.

It’s practically like describing a lover you haven’t yet met. It resembles claiming “I’m brought in to this kind, that type” or “I would truly love to satisfy an individual such as this.” In the end, you could drop in love with an entirely unanticipated point. The projects are easily. It’s constantly far better to have creative control. That is the most useful thing since you want your voice listened to. That you have this offer and take among the innovative divisions. That actually is the delight of filmmaking. It’s to somehow make each other far better. All of us attempt to make each various other much better.

For you, when you tackle queer stories like this, do you really feel a feeling of obligation to the communities that these films represent? Or do you attempt to protect the work from outside expectations and pressures?

After that I realized that you still long, you still dream, you still need, you’re still the same. And I recognize that when I’m 80, when I’m 90– if I live– I will certainly still have the very same yearning, just as youthful as a young girl. That is one more thing that attracted me to the character of Feng Xia. It’s so seldom seen on the screen, it’s her puppy love and summertime fling. It’s one of the most significant fling that any type of movie can ever provide, I would claim, because that is when she was lastly herself. When, and she was just herself that.

A Career Spanning Six Decades

This very same enthusiasm for development and adjustment has sustained a movie career that spans nearly 6 years. From her early outbreak in Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor to her function as Josie Packard in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, Chen has actually moved between continents, styles and generations of movie theater. In 2004, Chen starred in Alice Wu’s site queer Oriental American film Preserving one’s honor, a tender and funny story that exists at the intersection of queerness and domestic expectations.

At the exact same time, it’s exhilarating to become part of a brand-new horizon, to experience new points and to have that freedom. My personality in the movie, Feng Xia, experiences that also. That is a huge draw for me. It’s a life that’s seldom represented on screen, and yet it’s a life that’s worthy of the display. The second is that it takes care of the need and the longing of a lady of that age, which you hardly ever see.

Understanding Fate and Authentic Acting

I have no concept what other individuals believe, and I do not think I can begin to also believe regarding it. Now, I understand that we just have to recognize our fate. I assume I have actually taken awful parts and I have actually additionally taken terrific parts.

When Joan Chen turned three decades old, she felt it was completion of her young people. However it really did not take wish for her to recognize aging had no impact on her desire to dream, to like and to change herself.

The Power of Creative Control

I additionally wished to ask you a concern concerning Dìdi, which you just recently starred in and executive generated. As a person that has directed, generated and acted, what type of stories make you want more imaginative control?

I never ever think of the outdoors assumptions. If I write something, if I choose something, when I’m carrying out something, it’s constantly to connect and connect to one of the most inner component of myself. The credibility really comes from one of the most individual and not a cause, not a community, not any of that. Yet I assume when I took this work, I did have the awareness that this is not so common. Not very many films are portraying [queer Oriental tales] and that is vital and pretty unique. I do have that sense. But I assume any kind of artwork, any type of creative endeavour, it constantly is from the innermost of your very own heart, your heart, your very own psychological experiences. That’s the only means to be sincere.

I believed that she wrote such a stunning tale. Her own mother is an immigrant and with so much tender love and understanding, she composed the personality of Ma– even though it was her initial film. I desired to make it possible for her to make this movie.

I assume I have actually dealt with this issue ever because I first started in Hollywood. There were stereotypical personalities, there were even offensive characters, and you try to make the best of it. It’s a little much better, however still not so a lot far better.

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I’m not one to really celebrate or celebration, however 30th, I assumed that was the end of youth, and it was substantial. I thought from now on, I am old and life will certainly proceed yet young people is gone.