In Didi, Sean Wang’s semi-autobiographical debut feature, Chris (Izaac Wang) is a 13-year-old boy growing up in the Bay Area during the late aughts and exploring the kind of person he wants to be. Doing so is not easy—between navigating new and old friendships, dealing with a thrilling yet disorienting crush, and experiencing a new (if misplaced) frustration with his family, Chris goes through his share of growing pains before making some valuable and unexpected discoveries about himself and the people he loves.
Though the movie, which releases nationwide on Aug. 16, is undeniably a coming-of-age film, the true heart of the story lies within the complicated but tender relationship between Chris and his mother, Chungsing. That’s largely due to the standout performance of veteran actor Joan Chen. The 63-year-old Chen plays Chungsing, a mother with unrealized artistic dreams, with a complexity and grace that reminds us why she’s been an internationally renowned talent for the past five decades.
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Chen, who began her acting career as a 14-year-old growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution, is widely regarded as one of her home country’s best actors, even being referred to as “the Elizabeth Taylor of China.” She may be best known to Western audiences for her roles in cult classics like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks and Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, and in later years, has made a name for herself as a director with projects like her critically acclaimed film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl and the American romance film Autumn in New York. Her storied career is part of why Wang says that including her in his film was a “dream come true.”
“Joan just has that presence and she gave the movie such warmth and generosity,” Wang told TIME. “She never once made me feel self-conscious about being a first-time director, and this is someone who’s worked with Ang Lee…
