Su Chang's "The Immortal Woman," the movie

Featured at My Book, The Movie: Su Chang's The Immortal Woman.

The entry begins:

If someone wants to adapt my novel, The Immortal Woman, into a movie (ideally a tragicomedy), I’d like either Lulu Wang or Yung Chang to direct it. I loved Lulu’s 2019 film The Farewell; she nailed the differences between Eastern and Western cultures and the awkward but often comical cross-cultural experiences of immigrants. I was shocked to watch the film, as my family almost went through that exact same story in real life, and I felt completely seen. Lulu would understand the nuances of my novel – the conflictual feelings towards one’s birth country, the erosion of an immigrant’s identity, the push and pull of assimilation and birth heritage, the suspicion of “dual loyalties,” etc. etc.

The documentary filmmaker Yung Chang would also be a fantastic director for the adaptation. He was the only Chinese-Canadian boy who grew up in a small town in Ontario without other Asians; he'd intuitively understand characters like Lin and Dali. I adored his documentary Up the Yangtze so much that I watched it multiple times. His Wuhan Wuhan was also a triumph. He is adept at capturing intimate human stories against the backdrop of massive historical events. He has a beautifully subtle sensibility that resists over-editorializing.

And in terms of my dream cast...[read on]

Learn more about the book and author at Su Chang's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Immortal Woman.

--Marshal Zeringue