Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Tuesday 13 augusT 2019
In 'The Farewell,' a family drama straddling East and West

By JAKE COYLE grim diagnosis was kept
Associated Press from Nai Nai, a somewhat
NEW YORK (AP) — Film di- common approach to
rector Lulu Wang knew her death and dying in China.
pitch for "The Farewell" was Wang, whose family had
unconventional. moved from Beijing to Flor-
She wanted to make an ida when she was 6, had
autobiographical drama doubts. Still, she reluctantly
about the time when, in went along with the well-in-
2013, her family learned tended deceit, flying back
that her grandmother for a cousin's wedding hur-
in China, affectionately ried along as an excuse to
called Nai Nai, had stage 4 reunite the family before
lung cancer and was given Nai Nai was expected to
three months to live. The die.

This June 12, 2019 photo shows filmmaker Lulu Wang, left, and actress Awkwafina posing in New
York to promote their film, "The Farewell."
Associated Press

Wang first told the story nese film?' It's an American and the humor all in one
for a 2016 episode of "This film as much as I am Ameri- frame," says Wang.
American Life." She envi- can," Wang, who lives in The movie has special res-
sioned a movie about grief Los Angeles, said in an in- onance for many Asian
and identity and family, riv- terview in early June. Americans who see in "The
en with cultural and ethical "The Farewell," which A24 Farewell" not just characters
divides between East and will release in select the- and faces seldom found
West, parent and child, set aters Friday, stars Nora Lum on American screens, but
largely in her grandmoth- (aka Awkwafina) as Billi, a a recognizable familial
er's hometown of Changc- stand-in for Wang. One of world that straddles bor-
hun in northeastern China. the co-stars, Nai Nai's sis- ders. That's especially true
"When I was first pitching it, ter Hong Lu, plays herself. for Lum, who was raised
it's almost like you want to Several of the locations in Queens, New York, by
start by saying, 'I know this are where Wang's fam- her grandmother after her
sounds crazy, but I want ily drama actually played mother, a South Korean
to make an American film out. Wang's parents visited immigrant, died when she
— meaning tonally Ameri- the set, as did (spoiler alert) was 4.
can, American financed the real Nai Nai, who at 86 "When the script came to
— that's like 100% Asian or has far outlived her original me, it was called 'Grand-
American-Asian cast and prognosis but remains in ma' and it was about this
75% in Mandarin with sub- the dark about her family's very special relationship
titles. Cool, right? Green 2013 scheme. between a girl and her
light? Where's the money?'" "She would come to set but grandmother that I never
Wang recalls, laughing. she didn't really know what thought I would see in a
And yet "The Farewell" we were doing so we had movie — especially one
not only eventually got a to kind of protect her," says that was Asian-American
green light ("About a Boy" Lum. "It was like 'The Fare- and so close to home," says
producer Chris Weitz hap- well' in real life." Lum. "I had to do this for my
pened to hear that "This "It's very meta," Wang grandmother."
American Life" episode), grants. This was before Lum's
but after Wang unveiled As personal as "The Fare- breakout performance
it earlier this year at the well" is to Wang, it has been in last year's "Crazy Rich
Sundance Film Festival, it deeply felt by a broad Asians," and Wang grants
sparked a bidding war. spectrum of viewers who that the "rapper-comedi-
On a wave of teary-eyed see in it a reflection of an-influencer I knew from
responses from moviego- the harmony and discord music videos like 'My Vag'"
ers and raves from critics, that hum through families. wasn't the obvious choice
"The Farewell" emerged as Wang captures the tender, for such a dramatic role.
one of the breakthroughs bittersweet relationship be- But she was convinced by
in American independent tween Billi and her grand- a self-taped audition that
cinema this year. Even if mother, and, with wide Lum, who had to improve
the movie still eludes clas- lenses, the celebrations her Mandarin for the part,
sification for some. and pains of the extended could skillfully render Billi's
"People are like, 'Is it an family. conflicted emotions with
American film? Is it a Chi- "I wanted to put the grief subtlety.q