The Farewell (2019) (HBO)

About The Farewell (2019) (HBO)

The Farewell was released in 2019 by HBO. This poignant story of family, love and cultural differences was directed by Lulu Wang. Inspired by Wang's real-life story, 'The Farewell' portrays a Chinese-American woman who visits China under the pretext of a family wedding and actually tries to say goodbye to her ailing grandmother who isn't aware she is dying.

Making / Production

The Farewell was filmed primarily in Changchun, China’s northeastern Jilin province, where director Lulu Wang’s own family originates. The film was filmed over the course of 24 days. Wang's aim was to provide a nuanced perspective on Eastern and Western cultural differences, providing a personal, bittersweet ode to her homeland and her roots.

Actors

• Awkwafina as Billi: She gives a compassionate and spirited performance as a Chinese-American woman grappling with her family's decision to hide the truth from her grandmother.
• Shuzhen Zhou as Nai Nai: She portrays Billi's grandmother with an energetic and heartwarming performance, which also conveys strength and humor.
• X Mayo as Suze: Mayo plays a sweet yet strict role of Billi's cousin's wife.
• Hong Lu as Hao Hao: Playing the role of Billi’s cousin, he gives a strong performance reflecting the struggle between traditional norms and modern lifestyle.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film is partly based on a lie that director Lulu Wang's family told her about her grandmother's health.
• "The Farewell" is primarily in Mandarin, with subtitles, reflecting the director's relationship with her heritage.
• The character Nai Nai was played by actress Shuzhen Zhao, who was not told the film's story was based on a real grandma who didn't know she was dying, so that she wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

Awards

The film earned several award nominations, including a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and won Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for Awkwafina's performance. It was also a nominee for Grand Jury Prize in the Sundance Film Festival 2019.

Quotes

• "What's wrong with you? You can tell me. Is it a boy's problem?" - Nai Nai
• "It's not a lie. It’s a good lie." - Hao Hao
• "But that’s not fair. She doesn’t know. If I had that kind of diagnosis, I would want to know." - Billi

Music, Soundtrack

• The film score composed by Alex Weston is a poignant and powerful accompaniment to the narrative.
• Classical music, including pieces by Tchaikovsky and Mozart, is used to set the ambiance.
• Chinese pop music provides a nice touch of authenticity to the movie's sound and feel.