Olivia Cheng knew she was destined to play the role of the late historian and author, but she also convinced the film's producers and Iris' friend and husband.
Call it chance or call it an unwavering passion, Olivia Cheng knew she was meant to play the role of Iris Chang - the late Chinese American historian and author who rattled the world's consciousness about the Nanking Massacre.
The 27-year-old Chinese Canadian print and broadcast journalist woke up one morning and decided to get in touch with Chang's husband, Brett Douglas. He was "ridiculously easy to find," and over the phone, the words just tumbled out of Olivia's mouth.
She is a first generation overachiever who always turned her school assignments in as video news reports. She reported on hard news for Global - a national television network - and wrote for a daily Edmonton newspaper while dabbling in some hip-hop dancing and acting on the side. But what she really wanted to do was write a screenplay on her idol, Iris, whom she saw for the first time on the September 1998 cover of Reader's Digest.
Just like how Iris wanted people to remember the atrocities at Nanking, Olivia wanted to keep the dialogue about Iris' life and work flowing.
Douglas gave Olivia the same suggestion he gave to the countless other ambitious filmmakers, actors and producers who would call every week: go through Iris' personal papers at the Hoover Institution in Stanford University. So Olivia flew to Northern California and spent a week at the research library poring through the author's annals of research, video interviews and personal notes.
"I remember sitting in the library and thinking, 'this is crazy! I can't afford to do this!'" said Olivia to the Pacific Citizen from Vancouver where she is currently based.
But she continued working on the idea of the film and won the support of Douglas - she followed him while he vacationed in Canada and conducted interviews by kayak, foot and zip cord. Then, she received the breakdown for a docudrama based on Iris' life that would change her life.
"Why do I have to go for Suchin and May Ling roles when there are characters like Iris Chang?" said Olivia. "She is a modern day warrior with words."
Iris Chang-ing It
Over the phone, Olivia breathlessly traces the path that lead her to Iris, including meeting with Iris' real life close friend Paula Kamen - who told the P.C. that Olivia is "enthusiastic, bright and assertive - all traits she shares with Iris."
To win the role, Olivia did what Iris would've done - she didn't take no for an answer.
Filming had already begun in December of 2006, and the film's producers had not yet found an actress to play the lead. Late one night, Andrea Hazard, the production manager, fielded a frantic phone call from Olivia.
"She knew everything about Iris. She was convinced that she was destined to play her and at one point I could tell that she was crying because she was so upset that she wouldn't be considered for the part," said Hazard.
Hazard hung up the phone and walked over to the producers and said, "I think our Iris Chang just called."
February 19, 2003
On-location shooting in China will begin mid-March for "The Woman Who Couldn't Forget: The Iris Chang Story," a film shot in high definition using computer generated imagery (CGI) to transport Olivia, as Iris, into the darkness of the Nanking holocaust.
"I'm following in her footsteps in a very big way," said Olivia.
The film is also expected to plumb the soul of Iris's inner darkness, the bipolar disorder that consumed the historian and lead her to commit suicide in November 2004. The descent does make Olivia a little apprehensive since she too has fought personal demons.
"I just remember that was a hard point in my life," said Olivia who was 23 and working in the high-pressure news world on Feb. 19, 2003, when she collapsed in the parking lot of the Global station.
"It was a day that really forced me to believe what the doctors have suspected - that I was suffering from depression."
Olivia suffered in silence harboring thoughts of being hit by a semi-truck.
"The fear of relapse does cast shadows on my mind," said Olivia, but her experience in the parking lot at work will help her recognize the red flags. And this time, she won't be too scared to ask for help.
"The Woman Who Couldn't Forget: The Iris Chang Story" is slated for release at the end of the year to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nanking Massacre.
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