The Farewell trailer: Awkwafina makes a dramatic turn in Lulu Wang-directed Sundance 2019 favourite

The trailer of  The Farewell , which was hailed as one of Sundance Film Fesitval 2019’s best films, was released on 7 May. Though teased as being “based on an actual lie,” the film is inspired by true events in writer-director Lulu Wang’s life. [caption id=“attachment_6595521” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] A still from The Farewell. A24[/caption] Crazy Rich Asians actor Awkwafina plays Billi, a young Chinese-American woman whose beloved grandmother Nai Nai has cancer. Adhering to Chinese tradition, the family chooses not tell the grandmother that she is dying. Instead, they orchestrate a fake wedding in China, which would give their extended family a chance to bid farewell to Nai Nai. Billie is not convinced that concealing something so big is right but her parents constantly reassure her that it is “a good lie.”

Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Zhao Shuzhen, Lu Hong and Jiang Yongbo are seen in supporting roles. Wang had shared this account on an episode of NPR’s This American Life, which caught producer Chris Weitz and Big Beach Films’ attention, writes Entertainment Weekly . The Farewell will release in theatres on 12 July. Watch the trailer here .