She's always felt like an outsider. The Farewell True Story: What Happened To The Real Nai Nai - Screen Rant You cant tell me what its about. Its really rare when you can think, Oh, this would make a perfect movie. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodwards Daughters Appreciated the Fuck Hut Detail Too. Billi later learns that Nai Nai also told a similar lie to her husband up until his death when he was terminally ill. On the day of the wedding, both Haibin and Hao Hao break down in tears on separate occasions but manage to proceed through the banquet without raising Nai Nai's suspicions. The problem was no one else did. Lulu Wang's indie hit, starring Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen, may be an awards contender, but that doesn't mean the film is easily categorized. ! And wed go, Oh, you know, us leaving for America, and coming back, and theres a wedding, and culture clashes! Oh, OK. All technically true. Both of the encounters stick out in her mind, Wang says, because those were the only ones where each of the producers respectively said, We want to help you tell your story the way you want to tell it.. She would come to set, give us all massages, and hand out food and stuff. The Farewell Ending, Explained: Director Lulu Wang Explains - Thrillist [12], The film had its premiere in the U.S. But: What if the main character is the bride, she breaks up with her white boyfriend, they have to get married to keep this lie to Grandma going, and then guess who falls back in love, and., Its like, I see the film youre envisioning because that film already exists! Wang adds. It will be an all-Asian cast, I want to shoot in my grandmothers town, and my number one market is not the Chinese market the minute we try to change it to fit both sides of the equation, were sunk. And they just said, OK, well try to aim for it being a Sundance film then. They knew what the sweet spot was. Both Big Beach and Weitzs production company Depth of Field ended up coming on board. Talking about "The Farewell" - Boston College When asked about her own grandmother, Wang revealed that she only recently found out about her cancer. Starring Awkwafina as a struggling writer in New York and based on a "true lie" from Wang's life, the film tells the story of a Chinese-American family that, upon learning their grandmother has cancer, decides not to tell her and instead stages a mock . To further complicate an already complicated situation: Wang eventually decided to shoot her film about Nai Nai's illness in Changchun, the city where Nai Nai currently lives. Written and directed by the Chinese filmmaker, The Farewell casts rapper-turned-actress Awkwafina in her first leading role as Billi, a Chinese-American student playing a form of Wang herself. Billi assures her parents that she will not reveal the cancer diagnosis to Nai Nai. 2023 Cond Nast. Initially, I wanted her to play Nai Nai, the director admits. Casi Moss/Courtesy of Big Beach. Like, a million times over! It received widespread acclaim from critics, with particular praise for Wang's screenplay and the performances of Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen. Wang says that one plus is that the lie gave birth to the film, which was shot in her family's hometown of Changchun. Yes. And when you saw how wonderfully raw she was, how she just sort of oozed Queens, it was like, Oh, she could be the black sheep of this family, easily,' Wang says. Based on the real life . I have a fat face and Im going to ruin everything. Finally, one day I sat my great-aunt down and said, Listen, we all love you, but if this is going to be difficult for you emotionally. And she told me, No, I have to do this. While shopping around the idea for the movie, Wang says that a lot of companies wanted her to make the Billi character the bride, in addition to other changes that would make it less true to her own story. There's energy. This is sort of true. At the 77th Golden Globe Awards the film was nominated for two awards including Best Foreign Language Film, with Awkwafina winning for Best Actress Musical or Comedy. All rights reserved. Wang's great-aunt, Lu Hong, connects by phone in the wee hours of the morning from Changchun, where she lives in the same building three floors above her sister, Wang's grandmother. And the title of the movie is Dont Tell Her in Chinese. He also found the connection between Wang and her grandmother moving and was taken by the broader immigrant story she touched upon, the heartbreak of having to leave your family in pursuit of a better life. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. Then Wangs relatives fast-tracked a cousins planned wedding as an excuse for everyone to visit the elderly matriarch one last time. Speaking about the inspiration of The Farewell, Wang said her own struggle in balancing American and Chinese culture led her to make the film. ', It turned out, however, that, like Wang, Lum had been partially raised by her Chinese grandmother. (Wang toldThe New York Timesno one was too concerned about Nai Nai finding out the truth fromThis American Life, explaining They thought it was this niche thing. She said: 'And then it was just the three of us.' April 2, 2020. never to see her grandma again, the fade to black blooms into footage of the real Nai Nai still alive and zesty six years later. Somehow, it is. ", Writer/Director Lulu Wang says that the character Billi (played by Crazy Rich Asians' Awkwafina) is only semi-autobiographical. Thats kind of also what Billis character is [going through]. Lulus very-much-alive grandmother still didnt know about her cancer diagnosis. The then 33-year-old director already had one movie under her belt, 2014s Posthumous, and another she was burning to make. It will open in New York and Los Angeles on July 12. This is articulated heartbreakingly in a scene where Billi breaks down after telling her mom she wants to stay in China and take care of her grandmother. "[25] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 89 out of 100 based on 47 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". There are other people who look like me as a whole.' . Born in Taiwan, Joan moved to the UK at an early age. The family, however, told Nai Nai that she was just fine, that the doctor had given her a clean bill of health. [11] In an interview with Filmmaker, cinematographer Anna Franquesa Solano stated that the references for the film included Force Majeure and Still Walking. It stars Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, and Zhao Shuzhen. If someone tells you theres this crazy set up where you cant tell your grandma and theres a wedding, you expect there will be a moment of reconciliation and catharsis the things that you see in the movies. 'The Farewell': Lulu Wang's Truth, Lies, and the Long Goodbye Its a decision that both upset the American-raised Wang (who wanted to tell her), but also fascinated her, inspiring her to write and direct The Farewell, a bittersweet comedy drama thats in the process of becoming a genuine break-out hit after racking up higher per-screen averages than Avengers Endgame when it went on limited release in the US this summer. Well send you our daily roundup of all our favorite stories from across the site, from travel to food to shopping to entertainment. Its kind of an interesting insecurity in the film business right now. But look, it says in the newspaper its called Dont Tell Her, and thats why you didnt tell me, because I am the her of the dont tell her., But we havent talked about it, so Ill see what happens when I see her.. And, yet, as much as Billi disagrees with her family's decision, she also feels an inexorable pull toward the country in which she was born. When the movie went into production last year, not only did Wang cast her real aunt (who instigated the lie), she shot it two blocks from her grandmothers neighbourhood in Changchun and, let her visit the set. She was 80 years old, and my family, for reasons I'll get into in a minute, decided not to tell her. Still, when About a Boy director Chris Weitz asked to meet for coffee, she accepted. I felt like if people dont get it, but I made the film I set out to make, then I could be proud of it. Where The Real Grandma From The Farewell Is In 2019 - Refinery29 But regardless of when it happens, The Farewell will eventually open in China, and the family might finally have to drop the ruse. As she told The Hollywood Reporter, the fact that a script which was then named Nai Nai, the Chinese word for grandmother, and was written by an Asian-American woman had come across her radar was too unique to pass up. Wang, who was born in Beijing but emigrated to the United States with her parents when she was six, says that she had never heard of withholding a prognosis from a family member. Gallery The Best Twist Endings of All Time. No, at least not according to Wang, who says that she told her grandmother that the film was about their family, emigrating to America, and returning for a reunion in the form of a wedding. Family members who had not all been in the same place for 25 years would be together again. I never got a moment to tell her the truth or say goodbye.. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, This website and its associated newspaper are members of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Wang's own "Nai Nai," or grandmother in Chinese, was diagnosed with cancer and her family decided to keep the diagnosis from her. A very broad, ethnic comedy.. When my grandmother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, she was given three months to live. The Farewell opens with a title card declaring that the film is "based on an actual lie" from director Lulu Wang's own life. In the film, the Chinese American woman played by Awkwafina, battles with her family . "[11], Director Lulu Wang says that she kept the secret from her grandmother during and after film production. But for me, going back and having agency allowed me to see the city as an adult. Yes. I don't envy Wang in finally having that conversation to her grandmother about the diagnosis, but at least she could finally see the movie that is getting her granddaughter so much acclaim. What was hard about the experience first time was that no-one seemed to take my side, says Wang. "I imagine once the movie comes out, she will have to find some kind of way to still put up this front. They wanted it to be my big, fat Chinese wedding, said Wang of the investors on both sides of the world. Every time I finish a film, its kind of depressing because you're kind of at the end but kind of at the beginning again, and youre just excited but also unsure, she said. However, the true story behind The Farewell revealed that Lulu Wang's grandma was still alive when the movie was releasedin 2019. After receiving a rejection letter for a Guggenheim Fellowship, Billi discovers from her parents, Haiyan and Jian, that Nai Nai has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and is predicted to have only a few months left to live. first Asian American actress to win a Golden Globe, 89-year-old Chinese American great-grandmother dies one year after being attacked, CNBC uses up VC Geoff Yang's photo for presidential candidate Andrew Yang, Awkwafina says she was blown away by Shang-Chis Asian representation, Peik Lin needs a man! Awkwafina on her character in Crazy Rich Asians sequel, WATCH: The First Trailer For Crazy Rich Asians Has Arrived, Ronny Chieng slams People Magazine for misidentifying Crazy Rich Asians stars, Awkwafina thanks Lucy Liu in SNL monologue for helping Asian Americans, Awards are a beauty pageant: Tzi Ma talks The Farewell Oscar snub and Mulan, BTS, Awkwafina, John M Chu and Sandra Oh honored on Gold Houses A100 Most Influential Asians, Nicole Kidman chased The Farewell director Lulu Wang to work on The Expatriates. At the end of the film, Billi returns to New York. She . "It makes it harder. It was awkward to keep the secret when the grandmother visited the filming, a block from her home. ", The reasoning behind keeping a secret like this from the real Nai Nai is "to make sure the person still lives a happy and carefree life, and that their condition does not get worse," Shuzhen said, and from her experiences meeting with Nai Nai, that's been the case. However, the true story behind The Farewell revealed that Lulu Wang's grandma was still alive when the movie was released in 2019. is nai nai from the farewell still alive I think my reaction was, The girl who did My Vagwants to read for this?! The Farewell's release in China was recently delayed, which Variety suggested could be due to the film's likelihood of winning upcoming major American movie awards and potentially boosting its potential success in China. Then she made a movie about it' so it went through the entire history of our family, and my grandma read it. The film was screened in the U.S. The Farewell (Chinese: ; pinyin: Bi Gos T; lit. She understood the cultural balancing act of being viewed as primarily Chinese in America and primarily American in China. -This American Life, All of the doctors predicted that Lulu Wang's Nai Nai had three months left to live after the stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis in 2013. Her grandmother was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer in 2013. ", "Gotham Awards: 'Marriage Story,' 'The Farewell,' 'Uncut Gems' Lead Nominations", "Lulu Wang's 'The Farewell' wins Sundance London 2019 audience award", "#RomaFF14 | "Santa subito" di Alessandro Piva vince il "Premio del Pubblico BNL", "NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW ANNOUNCES 2019 AWARD WINNERS", "Artios Awards: 'Hustlers,' 'Knives Out,' 'Rocketman' Among Casting Society Film Nominees", "The 3rd Annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards Nominations", "The 2019 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards Nominations", "2019 San Diego Film Critics Society's Award Nominations", "2019 Atlanta Film Festival Award Winners", "This year's Seminci Golden Spike is bound for Mongolia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Farewell_(2019_film)&oldid=1149341986, Lu Hong (playing herself) as Little Nai Nai, Billi's grandmother's younger sister, This page was last edited on 11 April 2023, at 16:34. That direct connection. Scene Stealer: The True Lies of Elisabeth Finch, Part 2. With Shuzhen Zhao, Awkwafina, X Mayo, Hong Lu. When Wang pitched her setupa Chinese-American woman returns to her home country with the other expatriates in her family under the guise of a wedding, but with the true intent of seeing the family matriarch before she diesshe was met with a flood of criticism from both Chinese and American financiers: Who is this movie for? The filmcloses with an even more shocking title card: Six years after her diagnosis,Wangs real Nai Nai is still alive. I got to share the American part of my life with my family in China and the Chinese part of my life with my colleagues. Can you spoil The Farewell? In the beginning of Lulu Wang's film, she establishes the affectionate relationship between Billi Wang (Awkwafina) and her grandmother, who is usually called "Nai Nai" (Zhao Shuzhen).Although she has lived with her parents for more than 25 years in the U.S. since they left their hometown Changchun, China, Billi still remains close to her grandmother, and their mutual affection is apparent. Yeah, its great that you have this premise and that the grandmother is dying. "This was our plan," says Lulu Wang, "a giant goodbye party disguised as a giant wedding banquet." Walking down a busy street, she stops and thrusts her arms outward giving a loud, energy-expelling "HA!" "[31] Hong Kong playwright Jingan Young commented on the film's depiction of the differences between western and Chinese family values, claiming that "the familys decision to tell a 'good lie' is a metaphor for the collective delusion of living under the Chinese Communist party. Her grandmother, nicknamed Nai Nai, who today, at 86, is still alive, welcomed the visit, still in the dark about the real premise of the film. Told by doctors that Nai Nai has three months to live, the family decides to hide her diagnosis from her and gathers at their home in China to say goodbye under the pretense of a wedding. Like Wang herself had been, Billi is a struggling artist living in New York. After Wangs short film Touch played a few festivals, she found herself talking to the radio shows producer, Neil Drumming. "[6], Wang later created an episode titled What You Don't Know for This American Life in April, 2016 based on her family's story. Is that the question? Xiaojie Tan dreamed of traveling the world and celebrating her 50th birthday with her daughter.. That was the added bonus, to get to spend time with her." But Wang elaborated that her grandmother only knew it was a "family story" and actually encouraged her to shoot the film at their hometown. "Based on an actual lie" is the whimsical, accurate opening text of director's Lulu Wang's second film, "The Farewell," which premiered at this year's Sundance . How Lulu Wang's Grandmother Finally Finds Out the Secret - YouTube I went to bars -- I never went to bars as a 6 year old, obviously. Shereturned to her hometown in China and even Nai Nais house! She says that "life is not about what things one does, but more so about how one goes about doing them". par | Avr 28, 2023 | time difference between perth and melbourne daylight savings | dippity bix australia | Avr 28, 2023 | time difference between perth and melbourne daylight savings | dippity bix australia As stated in the film, it is believed in the East that a person's life is part of a whole (the family), instead of solely belonging to oneself. "I'm saying it now, getting really emotional. And she kept asking us, Why do you want me in your movie? A script began to make the rounds. July 12, 2019, 12:15 PM. It brought joy to all of us.. Lulu Wang's new film -- one of the best of the year -- is based on her own family's story, an "actual lie," as the opening suggests. Lulu Wang's new film -- one of the best of the year -- is based on her own family's story, an "actual lie," as the opening suggests. "While this process was unfolding, [Lulu Wang] was constantly reminding us, 'Dont leak this,'" Shuzhen said.
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