Fan Bingbing Tackles Complex Caregiver Role

Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing stars as Susu in Wayne Wang's "Diary of a Mad Old Man," a film premiering at the Toronto and Busan Film Festivals. The role sees Fan portraying a Chinese caregiver drawn into a complex relationship with an aging, stroke-paralyzed Japanese man.

Fan describes Susu as a character with significant influence but also inherent vulnerability, resisting simple victim or predator labels. The performance focuses on the intricate emotional exchange and mutual need between Susu and Utsugi, allowing for a shifting tone of tenderness, desire, and discomfort.

Adding a layer of complexity, Susu's identity as a Chinese woman within a Japanese family, an alteration from the original novel, shapes Fan's interpretation. She draws parallels between Susu's outsider perspective and her own experiences navigating different cultures, fostering a heightened sensitivity to interpersonal dynamics.

Fan Bingbing views Susu as a modern woman with agency over her body and choices, yet acknowledges the persistent constraints of financial dependence and family expectations. This duality, she explains, is central to the character's compelling nature. The actress deliberately avoided defining Susu's precise feelings for Utsugi, believing human emotions are rarely simple.