Award-winning director Lulu Wang, famed for the acclaimed “The Farewell,” opened up about navigating the challenges of representation and personal identity in helming Nicole Kidman’s Amazon TV series “Expats.”
About the project: The series, based on Janice YK Lee’s 1998 novel “The Expatriates,” follows the lives of three women in 2014 Hong Kong — Margaret (Kidman), Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), and Hilary (Sarayu Blue) — whose fates collide in the aftermath of a devastating event.
Scheduled for release on Prime Video on Jan. 26, “Expats” marks Wang‘s first foray into television after the success of her 2019 film “The Farewell.” Actors Brian Tee and Jack Huston also star in the series.
Initial reservations: Wang, a Chinese-born filmmaker who emigrated to Florida as a child, revealed in an interview with The Independent that she initially wanted to make sure she would be able to maintain her artistic integrity and cultural authenticity before accepting the project, which was offered to her by Kidman. However, she eventually found common ground with the Australian American actress and producer.
“I had really significant conversations to make sure that I would be allowed to tackle all of the complexities I wanted to tackle before saying yes to the show,” she noted.
On accepting disappointment: Reflecting on her previous work, Wang also expressed nervousness about how “Expats” would be received by viewers. Citing the diversity of Asian experiences, she acknowledges potential criticism but stands firm in her vision.
“I imagine, there’s always going to be people who are disappointed, but I think part of my journey is realizing that I can represent everyone,” she was quoted saying. “Maybe I have to be OK with the fact people are going to be disappointed.”
On navigating Asian experiences: While anticipating criticism, Wang sees the evolving landscape of Asian representation as a positive development. In an interview with the
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