The Farewell

𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐.𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒕.The Farewell (Chinese: 别告诉她; pinyin: Bié Gàosù Tā; lit. 'Don't Tell Her') is a 2019 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Lulu Wang. It stars Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, and Zhao Shuzhen. The film follows a Chinese-American family who, upon learning their grandmother has only a short while left to live, decide not to tell her; additionally, Billi's [more specifically, the youngest granddaughter] family returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch -- the only person that doesn't know she only has a few weeks to live.Back in April 2016, Wang shared a story called 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒘 during a podcast entitled 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 which detailed her own experience with her grandmother being diagnosed with a terminal illness (and not being told about it by her family) In real life. The more far-fetched portion of the screenplay - a staged wedding - is also surprisingly based on a true story, and the level of authenticity given the context presented its own unique challenges.Wang’s own grandmother was well aware that this film involved her own family, but she was kept completely in the dark about her diagnosis during the entirety of production. She would visit the set fairly frequently since it was filmed in her own neighborhood, and was even present during its premiere; shockingly, she only learned specific details about ‘The Farewell’s plot (and subsequently, her health) after reading a review of it following its release (and, to the best of my knowledge, she was fairly receptive considering the circumstances). If keeping the contents of Wang’s film concealed wasn’t difficult enough - she was further challenged by investors to make alterations that would have ultimately compromised her unique vision after calling the identity and target audience of ‘The Farewell’ into question. Some suggestions made would have affected the emotional Integrity of Wang’s writing like having another American ( someone who was “actually American” to quote Wang verbatim) character as a liaison to comic relief, whereas other changes (like having more spoken English as opposed to Mandarin) would have alienated audience members having a personal connection to the nature of ‘The Farewell’s plot and its central conflict.As a result of Wang’s perseverance and intuitiveness regarding assimilation ‘The Farewell’ is far from two-toned, poignantly grounded, And universally visceral.Speaking of assimilation: Billi’s role in ‘The Farewell’ requires expositional material to form a basic understanding of her perspective and the overarching situation in which it occurs. Wang starts with establishing her menagerie of characters as not being riddled with cliches are generic stereotypes, but rather as individuals with their own separate objectives, opinions, and attitudes about their upbringing and the current state of affairs. In the middle of it all is Billi and her immediate family who are an agglomeration of standards they have adapted while living in America in addition to the duties and traditions unique to their ethnic background. Perhaps more importantly - Wang’s script doesn't simply gloss over interactions meant to reaffirm what could be considered controversial decisions made by Billi's family, but instead immerses audience members using an elementary explanation of collectivist and individualistic culture in a way that is dignifying and sympathetic. Overall - viewers get a true sense of how straddling multiple identities can feel like an ongoing round of tug-of-war without falling back on ethnocentric tendencies due to exhaustion or complete estrangement from the subject matter.First impressions might lead some to think of the decision to cast Awkwafina (as Billi) as questionable given her reputation as a comedian and previously adorned roles. She has a connection to ‘The Farewell’ of her own, however, since she was raised by her grandmother following her own mother's passing, and this has had an obvious effect on the candid nature of her performance; When polluted by silence her facial expression say so much with no dependence on grandeur or melodrama to elicit an emotional response. Unfortunately for her portrayal of Wang, Awkwafina did not receive so much as an Oscar nomination, but she did snag a Golden Globe - making her the first woman of Asian descent to win this award in the category of leading actress. At the center of ‘The Farewell’s heart is grief - which doesn't exist in a vacuum, nor is it simply a matter of transitional loss and idiosyncrasies. Wang’s elegantly composed and fragile lens invites viewers to broaden their horizons in more ways than one, and ultimately shows that holding on and letting go are two sides ( among many) of a culturally multifaceted and ever-changing coin.

A Bird in the House: Stories (Phoenix Fiction) Margaret Laurence a coming of age series of stories is referenced in the 2019 filmThe Farewell a true lie comedy by writer-director Lulu Wang in which her Nai Nai (father's mother) is shielded from the truth of her diagnosis and prognosis by a family conspiracy to shoulder the burden of anticipatory anxiety of death for her. Gu Gu (auntie, grandmother's sister) is played in the film by Nai Nai Wang, who wished to participate in telling her own story. "There is a Chinese saying you get cancer, you die. Death is not from the cancer, death is from fear." Gu Gu (auntie, grandmother's sister) is played in the film by Nai Nai Wang. Awkwafina portrays Billi the conflicted Chinese American granddaughter who prefers truth telling despite the family decision to lie to Nai Nai "the tests say you are fine".In folklore a bird in the house trumpets an important development which may alter the trajectory of one's character, beliefs, memory traces.Real life Nai Nai Wang appears in the movie portraying her younger sister Gu Gu, who is first to learn of the diagnosis from the hospital doctor. As Gu Gu traverses the hallway alone enroute to lie to Nai Nai the actress that "all is fine, nothing wrong, just benign shadows" she pauses to reflect on the dilemma with which she is faced. Wang's grandmother was not forced to play this emotional role. Nai Nai is not a trained actress but wanted to participate in the telling of her story. The effort was therapeutic, reliving family grief hidden beneath humor, a fake wedding, alcohol, and family togetherness. Nai Nai is seen in the last capsule at the end of the movie practicing Qi Gong 6 years post diagnosis.The Farewell true story of both writer-director Lulu Wang and the actress Awkwafina of how families lie to themselves and one another about end of life and how Chinese families honor both living and dead by lies in life and rituals in death.The banquet given to an honored ancestor on the grave includes foods, incense, burning Joss Yuan Bao money and prayer papers written by a priest and purchased by the illiterate to send Confucian messages of love filial honor respect, and needed artifacts to the departed in the Great Void.Usually these ceremonies occur twice a year, Qing Ming (springtime dragon boat races) and autumn Grave Sweeping ceremony coinciding with other similar celebrations among other Asian cultures eg water throwing festival in Southeast Asia in spring and Japanese autumn Obon dances when ancestors are welcomed back to earth to eat dance and enjoy time with family before departing amidst candles floated on water at twilight. In Taiwan miniature hot air balloons powered by candles are sent aloft bearing names and messages to ancestors, beloved pets, that they know they are well loved and remembered.Those who have gone before are always a part of who we are in the present, as the atoms of their physical being eternally recirculate on earth.Among those in the West a different Ghost Town Ricky Gervais Tea Leoni Greg Kinnear comedy belief system and rituals prevail.How to Die in Oregon interviews with Oregonians in their last moments generously shared.Not better nor worse, just different.Goals That Ricochet R Hutchinson Palliative Care physician JAMA Dec 24/31, 2019 V322 N24 pp2385-2386All cultures share the challenge of meeting the needs of others balanced with one's own selfish needs.Sometimes we may have to grant our imperfect hearts a bit of compassion and admit that we are doing the best we can, bursting with feelings which sometimes escape our control.Departures Oscar Best Foreign film abandoned age 6, grows up trying to please an absent parent, loses job, loses spouse, configures a surrogate family from employer and bath house owner, learns ritual meditation, practices self restraint reflection contemplation, eating with gratitude, learns forgiveness of self and others.The Farewell Bonus Features interviews writer director Lulu Wang whose family Lie telling to Nai Nai is the focus of her story. Original family photos adorn on the walls of Nai Nai the actress' home: the two brothers, the family whole, Yi Yi and Nai Nai as a couple, the family's operatic dog. The real Nai Nai is still alive 6 years later.Bonus Feature interview with Awkwafina who lived through the family lie with her grandmother, who has traveled on to the Great Void.Full film commentary by writer-director and the cinematographer resonates with family humor, sadness and universal ambivalence about lies vs truth telling about the end of life.The real Nai Nai's Qi Gong exercises at the end put comedic oomph into the way we remember those who love us and who continue to watch over us despite their separation into a netherworld.For the hearing impaired non-Chinese speaker, the tiny white captions against white background scenes are difficult to decipher, larger yellow captions might have been preferable. The larger white subtitles (under set-up) are more easily viewed.5*

Good product

La portada del slipcover es la misma que el Blu-ray, la ilustración del disco está muy sencilla. Película en inglés y mandarín con subtítulos en español e inglés, mucho contenido extra (escenas eliminadas, comentarios del guionista, director y del reparto en general). Si te gustó la película vela la pena esta edición, si quieres ver algo diferente también te recomiendo adquirirla, es de A24 así que ya sabes que vale la pena. Incluye un código para descargar la película en tu dispositivo.

Me ha gustado porque nos muestra que cada cultura tiene valores diferentes y protege diferentes cosas, sin entrar a valorar que es lo mejor, o qué está bien. Interesante.

Llegó en la fecha acordada.Contiene subtítulos en español.Como extra, el Blu-Ray viene con slipcover.

I really enjoyed this film. Having only seen Awkwafina's previous performance in Crazy Rich Asians, her acting in this earlier film was a revelation. The audio commentary by the director on the Blu-ray disc also added more valuable background to the film well beyond the first time I saw it in the theatre. Finally, being Chinese, we continue to make annual formal visits to the graves of my grandparents, so I thought the cemetery scene in the movie was quite funny.