From Vietnamese factory worker to the red carpet: 'Left-handed girl' Tran Thu Lieu shines while chasing her dreams in Taiwan

The Taiwanese film 'Left-Handed Girl' has swept major film festivals, featuring a brilliant performance by Vietnamese immigrant actress Chen Chiu-liu. In an interview, she stated that Taiwan is the home she will never leave again. Taiwan has allowed her to pursue her dreams and be herself, turning her journey from a shoe factory worker to the Golden Horse red carpet into reality. 'Left-Handed Girl,' which was recently shortlisted for the top 15 in the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars, is based on the life story of US-based Taiwanese director Zou Shi-qing. It has been a huge success, shortlisted for over 15 international film festivals including Cannes, Zurich, Toronto, and Busan, and nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at over 7 international festivals, showcasing Taiwan to the world. Chen Chiu-liu, who plays Ah-Li, a worker at the night market noodle stall of the protagonist, a single mother named Shu-fen (played by Janel Tsai), is a real-life immigrant actress born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. On the 18th, she spoke to the Central News Agency about the filming process and her journey of striving in Taiwan. Regarding the international awards won by 'Left-Handed Girl,' Chen expressed great honor, though she also felt a bit overwhelmed and surprised. Chen laughed and said, "The film was nominated for the Golden Horse Awards. I was just a supporting actor, but the director and producers invited me to walk the red carpet. I felt very happy to be a part of it." While walking the red carpet, Chen asked herself, "Why am I standing here?" Recalling the filming period, because it was shot entirely on an iPhone, Chen thought the film was "so cool." "It made me look forward to the results. When I saw the final product, I was happy to find that I had quite a few lines and scenes." She told reporters, "Throughout the film, I felt the local culture of Taiwan, such as the night markets, and explored traditional concepts like patriarchal preferences. Through my role as an immigrant worker at a night market, the film also presents the multicultural landscape of Taiwan's society with its immigrant workers." In her youth, Chen was a shoe factory worker in her hometown. When she first married and came to Taiwan, she went through the hardships of doing manicures in parks. Early on, with the help of the New Taipei City New Immigrant Family Service Center, she learned the language and various skills, striving to find her path in life. Passionate about performing arts, she gradually revealed her talent after years of hard work and now steps onto the stage to show her true self. She pursues her dreams seriously and also helps her fellow countrymen. In addition to acting, Chen works as an interpreter, providing judicial and administrative translation assistance for Vietnamese people in Taiwan. This year, she was honored as one of the 10 influential cross-disciplinary figures in New Taipei City and received a contribution service medal from the National Immigration Agency. Having lived in Taiwan for 22 years, she has witnessed the change in Taiwan's attitude toward Southeast Asian immigrants. When she first arrived, she often felt suspicion in the eyes of passersby. Her sisters did not dare to speak Vietnamese on the street, tried their best to learn the Taiwanese accent, and even dared not teach their children their mother tongue. Now, Taiwan has changed a lot, moving toward a multicultural and multilingual society, and immigrant workers are no longer afraid to speak their native language as they once were. "However, I decided to keep my Vietnamese accent because it is my unique feature. I also teach my daughter my mother tongue, hoping she knows where her mother comes from, can communicate with her grandparents, and does not discard this part of her identity." As a radio host and stage actress, Chen is acting as a bridge between Taiwan and Vietnam. She says that performing arts has always been her dream, and in the future, she hopes to unite the cultures of both countries and promote them through art. "Using culture to communicate—as long as there is more understanding, there will be less misunderstanding." She told reporters that both places are her home. Vietnam is where she grew up, but she has lived in Taiwan for almost as long as she lived in Vietnam. She admitted, "I want to grow old in Taiwan because I have put down roots here; how could I go back to live in Vietnam?" She said that in the past, when people asked if she regretted marrying into Taiwan, she would always say: "There is no medicine for regret, and I can't go back, so why think about the past?" But in recent years, she has changed. "I realized that if I hadn't come to Taiwan and stayed in Vietnam, my dreams might not have had a chance to be realized. Taiwan's culture is truly diverse; it allows me to pursue my dreams."