The Farewell

The Farewell 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 woman named Billi, who learns her grandmother (referred to as Nai Nai) has only a short while left to live. Wishing to see Nai Nai before she dies but also not wanting to reveal her fatal illness to her, Billi's family uses an impromptu wedding as a pretense to gather in their hometown. Throughout the preparation for the wedding, Billi struggles with conflicted feelings about her family's deception and whether she should reveal the truth to Nai Nai. The film is based in part on director Wang's life experiences, which she first publicly discussed as part of her radio story "What You Don't Know",