LakshmiAfter more than 20 years of directing commercials and advertisements, Shawn Yu’s path took an unexpected turn. One day, as his child was navigating the college application process, he was struck with a powerful realization: he wanted to be a source of inspiration. Determined to set an example, Yu decided to pursue his dream of filmmaking, marking the beginning of his journey into feature films.
Unexpected Courage offers a fresh lens on mature love in the face of pressure, turning its near-single setting into the emotional heartbeat of the film. With a delicate balance of wit and unflinching truth, director Shawn Yu draws from personal experience to craft this poignant drama. The story follows Love/ Le Fu (René Liu), a forty-five years old talent manager, and her younger partner Born (Hsueh Shih-Ling), a commercial director, as they navigate an unexpected pregnancy crisis. Burdened by past family trauma and the strain of their age gap, the couple is forced to confront their uncertain future. Liu’s radiant, grounded performance, paired with authentic dialogue and a talented supporting cast, anchors a narrative that subtly celebrates vulnerability as its own form of strength.
One Lash Shot dives into Director Shawn Yu’s mind as he reveals the unexpected, courageous story that inspired the film.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the film industry?
I have been working in the commercials and advertisements industry as a director for the past 20-something years. It wasn’t until my teenager—my adolescent child—was preparing to apply for college through the entrance exam that I felt a shift. For me, I really wanted to show him that, as a role model, if you focus on something and put in all your effort, you can meet a higher power who grants you both the abilities and opportunities to fulfill your dreams. In his case, this meant entering the best college he wanted to attend.
So, my initial intention was to give myself the greatest challenge I could—making a feature film—to show my child that if you put your heart and effort into something, you can accomplish anything. That’s why I began this journey, transitioning from the commercial and advertising industry into the world of filmmaking.
I believe this is a very personal film for you. Judging from the last few shots of the movie, this was about your own family– your wife and child. How much of the story was drawn from your own life? Was there a specific moment that inspired the script?
For me, this is a personal experience drawn from a truly unexpected event that changed the course of my life. From being a single person to now having a wife and a child, and building a family together—the three of us.
I believe this film is a true reflection of my own personal journey—especially the hospital room scenes, which were recreated to scale. We made sure to replicate the exact room to capture my personal experience of that pivotal, unexpected event in my life.
The relationship between the two characters, Le Fu and Born, was captured in some of the most touching moments of the film. Especially when Le Fu is in the ICU and Born doesn’t know whether she’ll wake up. He goes through an emotional process of confessing his love and talking about things he never had the courage to discuss before. In that moment, he even proposes to her through gestures.
That scene was particularly meaningful to me because I went through the exact same thing at that time. I found myself living out that experience just like the character. The actor who played Born, Hsueh Shih-ling, did such an incredible job in that scene. I was so deeply moved by his performance that it took me a while to calm down and regain composure. It took me a while to focus on the next scenes that we were supposed to shoot that day. It was such a powerful and impactful moment.
What central theme were you hoping to explore? Do you see the film as a commentary on modern parenthood—especially for people becoming parents later in life? Or was the focus more on normalizing age-gap relationships or about the pressures of “timing” family life?
For me, the theme is very much centered around a love story. But it’s different from most films that depict love stories, which typically focus on the beginning—how the characters meet, fall in love, and navigate their relationship’s ups and downs.
I wanted to focus more on the later stages of the relationship—after the initial love has bloomed. How do you sustain a committed relationship over time? How do you create a long-term future together? In the film, even though the two characters have been together for five years, it’s almost as if they’ve never been so close, so committed.
And it’s not just about the two of them anymore. The shift from a couple to a family of three represents a deeper level of commitment. To me, this is a love story that explores the realities of busy lives, balancing different priorities, and reflecting on what it means to maintain a committed relationship—not only with your loved one, but also with the life you’ve created together. How do you move forward as a family?
You worked with two singers in the film- Rene Liu and Hsueh Shih-ling. What led you to choose them for the roles of Le fu and Born? What qualities did they bring that felt essential to the characters?
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve worked in the industry as a director—directing music videos, advertisements, and commercials. Over the course of those 20-something years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with both Rene Liu and Hsueh Shih-ling in the past, so I’m very familiar with their work.
When I was writing the script, I already had Rene in mind for the role of Love/Le Fu. I felt it was a perfect match for her, both in terms of her character and her talent. Among her generation of female actors, I believe she’s the best, and she was my first choice for this particular character.
For Born’s character, the plot sets up a significant age gap—about 12 years—between the two characters. I had to find someone who would fit that gap, and Shih-ling turned out to be the best choice. He’s one of the top Taiwanese male actors in that age group, and I felt he was the perfect fit for the role.
On top of that, the characters are deeply tied to the music industry, so it worked out that both Rene and Shih-ling were not only the best choices for their respective roles but also had the right background to bring these characters to life.
Which scene in the movie was your favorite? Was it the final one, where Born confesses while she’s lying on the hospital bed, or was there another moment that stood out to you?
There’s another scene, right after the one you mentioned, where Love meets her baby, Courage, for the first time in the ICU.
When I was writing the script and we decided to shoot this particular scene, we didn’t realize that Love, as a character, wouldn’t be able to take off her mask. We were under the impression that it wouldn’t be necessary, but we learned that it’s a strict policy in the neonatal intensive care unit: anyone entering must wear a mask.
This scene was crucial for me—it was such a pivotal moment, especially coming right after that deeply emotional scene. I wanted it to be incredibly moving and impactful. It needed to capture the moment when Love, after fighting through such a difficult battle to give birth, finally sees her baby and feels that tiny hand wrap around her finger for the first time. I was anxious and concerned about how we would convey this emotionally powerful moment with her face mostly obscured by the mask.
But when we shot the scene, I was relieved. Rene, as an actress, was able to communicate so much through her eyes. She found a way to express all the emotion and depth I wanted without needing to show her full face. When she spoke to the baby for the first time, there was no doubt in my mind that the emotional impact came through perfectly.
That scene ended up being one of my favorites in the film.
[Author’s Note: Thank you for making this beautiful movie and I can’t wait to watch the next one!]
Lakshmi
