The Cast
During our casting process in December 2020 all the way through to January 2021, the responses we received from many talented actors and artists of East and South East Asian heritage were very overwhelming and humbling. We are proud to have assembled three of the most exciting Asian/ British Asian talents in the UK as the main cast of The Missing Chinese Girl.
AIMEE - Vinna Law
Vinna Law is a Malaysian made and London based Actor-Creator. She holds an MA in Acting from East 15 Acting School and runs an international all-women theatre company, Cognatus.
“ The main reason why I was interested in working on this piece was how familiar it was upon my first full reading of the script. Aimee’s relationships and encounters with the people throughout the story reminded me a lot of my own journey here in the UK and I’m sure others who came from a different country to live here would feel the same. The script is in no way dramatic or exciting, which is one of the things I love about it. Emma really highlighted the fact that people like us usually live quietly under the radar; the uncertainty, loneliness, the fear of burdening others with my own problems but also wanting to have someone to lean on and perseverance despite not being seen or heard. These feelings surface through small ‘minor’ moments, that people won’t have a second thought about but it is in those moments where you would feel, through Emma’s work, how these moments shape the way we view ourselves within our communities. ”
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MIRA - Dandan Liu
Born and raised in Beijing, Dandan Liu was originally trained as a child singer with National Radio Choir. She regularly performed in live concerts and TV in her teens. She found her passion in theatre eventually, and decided to train to become an actor. After graduating with a BA in Drama and Theatre Arts, she relocated to London and furthered her acting training at City Lit between 2014 and 2016. In 2017, she joined On the Wire - a touring theatre company and played Yi Di in From Shore to Shore - a bilingual play by Mary Cooper and MW Sun, and performed in various venues across the UK including Oxford Playhouse, China Exchange, and Oran Mor. Since then, she has appeared in a number of short films and TV programmes including Semi-Skimmed by James Soldan, filming opposite Tony Award winner Lee Sharpe; and a special poetry reading session with Gemma Redgrave for Sky Arts. In 2020 she was cast as Yuki - a Tibetan secret agent in spy thriller London Confidential playing opposite Mouni Roy. She has just wrapped on BBC's Silent Witness Season 24 playing Marie Yuen filing opposite Emilia Fox - the series will be aired in Autumn 2021.
“ I was attracted to the project mainly due to the fact that the film intend to explore the fragility of human nature and unpredictability of life events, as well as how young people deal with the consequences. In general, I am very much attracted to the creative process of working with young directors on short films exploring various possibilities of the film together. The Missing Chinese Girl presents a unique point of view of life from a young isolated woman's fighting with venerability - I was very touched by the script upon receiving it and hence decided to be involved in this project to approach these sensitive elements the film touches on through my acting. ”
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MANDY - Belinda Duong
Belinda is a multi-talented British Chinese actress and model. She has been the face of many international and household brands. Her debut feature film is the upcoming family comedy Fortune Cookies, directed by Brenda Lee with support of BBC Children in Need. Belinda is an avid globetrotter who has travelled to over 30 countries to date.
Other credits include: Spirals (2019), Fear of the Lotus (2018), Ambitendency (2017)
“ I am excited to be collaborating with Emma and the team on The Missing Chinese Girl because it delves into different cultures that resonate with me. The emotional story carries a personal connection, where I want to explore and further my own understanding of relationships, friendships and regret. I am passionate to bring my own influences to the character of Mandy, who like myself is British Chinese and have similar upbringings. ”