The Farewell

The Farewell is a 2019 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Lulu Wang. It stars Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Zhao Shuzhen, Lu Hong, and Jiang Yongbo. The film follows a family who, upon learning their grandmother has only a short while left to live, decide not to tell her and schedule a family gathering before she dies.
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, which appeared as part of an episode of This American Life. The film was screened in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was theatrically released in the United States on July 12, 2019, by A24. It received acclaim from critics, with particular praise for Wang’s screenplay and direction and the performances of Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen.

Awards

Atlanta Film Festival: Audience Award – Feature Film
Sundance London: Audience Favourite
Seminci: Youth Jury
Gotham Awards: Best Actress
National Board of Review: Top 10 Independent Films
American Film Institute Awards: AFI Movies of the Year
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards: Best Supporting Actress