WeiJen Liao Brings on the Feels in Emotional Award-winning Drama “Moo, Annie. Moo.”
WeiJen Liao is no stranger to success. As an industry-leading Taiwanese actor, she has starred in countless award-winning productions, including the 2021 drama Josephine, which made its way to many prestigious film festivals around the world, and the public service announcement for International Women’s Day 2020, which won a Telly Award, the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. When her film Moo, Annie. Moo. premiered and the accolades started coming, including the awards for Best Short Film and Best Music Video at the L.A. Shorts Film Festival in early June of 2022, it was a feeling Liao has become accustomed to, but a great honor none-the-less.
“My pride in this film doesn’t depend on the awards we won, but goes beyond that. I am proud of my community, the film, and even the characters as they reflect some level of the audience’s individual story, culture, and background. This project is a way to remember ourselves and our tribe. It’s also a way to remind ourselves how we can contribute to society and make a better world. When we bring a real authentic self and share it with others, our environment becomes more colorful and loving,” says Liao.
Moo, Annie. Moo. is a story about coming to terms with the loss of a loved one. It shows the relationship between Annie and her grandmother, following Annie on the day of her grandmother’s funeral. Liao is greatly connected with the story, and it’s detailed and delicate look into key aspects of Asian culture.
“The typical traditional Chinese family was rooted in Annie’s family. As a young Taiwanese artist, I experienced limited freedom and restriction in my family to express myself. We don’t talk much about sex, death, talking back to the elderly in the household, dating, our desires, needs, or feelings. Therefore, Annie has trouble being honest, transparent, and authentic about her own needs, feelings, and thoughts surrounding her loss in the beginning,” says Liao. “It is crucial to raise awareness of different groups, communities, ethnicities, families, and individuals’ values and existences. If we can pay closer attention to listening and seeing others’ stories or our surroundings, we will create a greater tolerance and acceptance of our differences. As a result, we will have more love, joy, and freedom and less division and hatred.”
Liao worked closely with Director Caleb Soon to perfectly nail down the essence of Annie. The two would meet frequently, and Soon gave Liao the opportunity to build Annie’s character in the way she saw her. She brought in a backstory for the character and Soon would listen and provide feedback.
“Annie is not the type who will move a lot or make lots of concrete action. She is reserved and takes a lot into herself to digest from outside her environment. There are many conflicts for Annie to process internally, and I had to find a way to help her navigate the challenges emotionally, mentally, and spiritually,” Liao describes.
Liao designed Annie’s emotion from being a stone wall at first, who seemingly is unfazed by her grandmother’s passing, until the end as she decides to have the courage and desire to take off her mask and let audiences see the real her. The real Annie is a loving, warm, vulnerable, and fragile girl who’s lost and on the journey of searching for herself, and Liao does a remarkable job showcasing that transition and vulnerability needed for the character.
“I love the challenge I was given by the director, in which I had to do a very long and emotional monologue from the top to the end with only one shot. If there were any moments I made mistakes, we had to start all over again from the top. It’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever had to perform in front of the camera because it’s not only about delivering the lines to the audience, but how I simultaneously delivered the line with my thoughts and emotion, living moment by moment, including silents without cutting,” she recalls.
The project has been distributed on Facebook and YouTube social media platforms, as well as Liao’s official site and Caleb Soon’s official site. Currently, the film is in consideration for the SubTropical Independent Film Festival from Taiwan, San Francisco Short Film Festival presented by SF IndieFest, All Asian Independent Film Festival, and Boston Asian American Film Festival. Liao is thrilled to have been such a major part of the film’s continued success as its starring and titular character.
“Annie’s courage inspires me. She may seem soft and fragile, but she’s strong, brave, and loving. This type of character is one of my favorite types to work on because young Asian American women are often still stereotyped in our society as passive, nice girls without the courage to express standards and boundaries,” she says.
