Comedy queen turns serious

The movie vividly re-creates Wan Chai district between 1977 and the early 1980s, where the protagonist rents a cramped tenement room. These sets are infused with Lau's personal nostalgia — so much so that he even included a black-and-white photo of his own family in one scene, featuring his mother and siblings, blending his history with the film's narrative.

Ma shares more insights into the film's emotional core: "Zang's story embodies the universal emotions we associate with maternal love. Director Lau also emphasized his hope to use this film to recapture the warmth of neighbors supporting one another and finding solace together in difficult times."

To fully immerse herself in the role, Ma gained an extra 10 kilograms and spent 200 hours learning how to knead dough — a key step in making dumplings. "The intensive practice helped build muscle memory, which laid a solid foundation for me to portray the character more authentically," she says.

Recalling one of the biggest challenges during the shoot, Ma says most of the actors speak Cantonese — forcing her to memorize their lines to ensure her responses were accurate.

As she couldn't understand their conversations during breaks, the experience unexpectedly gave her a sense of loneliness, which helped her relate more deeply to her character. Like the protagonist she portrays, who struggles with language barriers while striving to build a life in Hong Kong — over 1,500 kilometers away from her hometown in Shandong — Ma says she found herself mirroring that same isolation.

With The Dumpling Queen highlighting the recent years' surge in films with strong women as leads, such as Her Story and Like a Rolling Stone, Ma sees the trend as encouraging. "It shows that stories about women really connect with theatergoers — there's clearly a real demand for such tales," she says.

"To me, women-centric films aren't about picking a fight — they're about being seen. It's about showing the many challenges women face at home, at work, and in society — and how strong they can be in getting through them," adds Ma.

"The Dumpling Queen is that kind of story. It's not trying to hammer home a message about gender. It simply tells Zang's journey, and through that, shows that a woman's strength doesn't mean being tough all the time — it's about staying true to what you believe in, holding on to your passion, and having the courage to keep going, no matter what," says the actress.