The Farewell

Synopsis

Billi (Awkwafina), a struggling Chinese-American writer living in New York, is heartbroken to learn that her beloved grandmother, Nai Nai, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. However, her family adheres to a traditional Chinese custom: they decide not to tell Nai Nai she is dying. Instead, they schedule an elaborate, impromptu wedding for a cousin in China as a ruse to gather the entire family to say their secret goodbyes.

Feeling like an outsider in her own birthplace, Billi travels to Changchun to join the festivities. As she struggles to keep the secret and mask her grief, she finds herself clashing with her parents and relatives over the morality of the deception. Amidst the chaos of wedding planning and banquet feasts, Billi rediscovers her roots and learns that sometimes, the greatest act of love is carrying someone else’s burden.