The Farewell, a sneak peek into the traditional insight of the Asian household. The film itself portrays the way Asians deal with the sentiment of death but especially in members of the family that become terminally ill. Yet it sheds a light on the dynamic of life as a whole in both family and society compared to the west in which life is a separate thing as well as in one's own control.
It takes the story of the Nai Nai(Grandmother) and her family’s journey through her cancer. The family is so spread apart throughout the world some still in Asia others in America and from that, we get one of our main characters Bili an Asian American young woman who is very different from her family due to her opinionated nature and independent personality. All come together for a “wedding” but due to the lie at the surface, it is an excuse for the whole family to come together without worrying Nai Nai. Anyone no matter the background can find something to connect with through their story.
The film comes a year after the hype of Crazy Rich Asians and just fresh off its six wins and two nominations during film festivals award season. It really helps change the already existent framing the west usually has with such characters.
Meaning a lot to the Asian American community mainly for the ability to have more representation in the media. As of a 2014 study stated by time magazine, Asian Americans only represent 1.4 percent of lead characters in studio films. The Farewell currently sits at 100 percent on rotten tomatoes which is a big accomplishment on its own. But through more films like this and Crazy Rich Asians, the rise of diversity in media will continue to heighten.