When Billi (Awkwafina) discovers from her parents that her beloved grandmother in China Nai Nai (Lu Hong) doesn’t have long left to live, the born and raised New Yorker’s life is turned upside down overnight. The family decides to keep Nai Nai in ignorance and not tell her about her fatal disease. And so, to plausibly explain the sudden appearance of the whole family, a spontaneous wedding has to be quickly organized.
While Billi attempts to keep the lie going, she keeps discovering things that cause her own life to change. It’s the chance to rediscover not just the country of her parents but also the wonderful spirit of her grandmother.
A comedy of recurring culture clashes, THE FAREWELL is above all the loving portrait of a family farewell.