On Monday we were thrilled to host a member screening of The Farewell, followed by a Q&A with the film’s director Lulu Wang.
Lulu spoke to Mariayah Kaderbhai about the film’s beginnings on a podcast, shooting on widescreen and working with Awkwafina. If you weren’t able to make it on Monday, you’re in luck — you can find all our live-tweets collected below.
Our screening of @thefarewell is about to begin! Join us afterwards as we’ll be live-tweeting a Q&A with director @thumbelulu, moderated by @MariayahK #DUKfarewell pic.twitter.com/tJwZhlhuj3
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
That was the amazing @thefarewell #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
And now we’ll hear from director and writer @thumbelulu. She’s appearing in conversation with @MariayahK #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
Lulu explains the origins of the story as an episode of the podcast @ThisAmerLife #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
She’d wanted to make it as a film from the beginning but production companies couldn’t see beyond a My Big Fat Chinese Wedding-style comedy #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
So she put the project aside and carried on making other short films #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
It was at the screening of one of her shorts that a producer from This American Life approached her and asked if she had a true story she wanted to tell #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
Making it as a podcast first, where everything had to be fact-checked, meant she was able to tell the story without any interference - there was no question of moving events around, changing people’s ethnicities etc. #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
That was really helpful when transferring it to film. It allowed her to stay true to the story and not have to give into interference #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
It worked out for the best, because she knew more about how she wanted it to be and where she wouldn’t compromise #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
Lulu tells us about the choice to shoot in widescreen. Although typically used for landscapes, it works here to isolate characters and to highlight awkward pauses #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
Talking about the casting of @awkwafina, Lulu says that she told her first off that she shouldn’t do an impression of her #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
She instead tapped into her own anxieties about her own grandmother #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
No matter where your ancestors are - whether in another country or no longer with us - you still carry their voice with you #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
No matter where your ancestors are - whether in another country or no longer with us - you still carry their voice with you #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
Lulu wrote the screenplay in English and translated it into Mandarin afterwards. She can understand and speak Mandarin, but writes and thinks in English #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
Some people questioned whether it would be better aimed at a Chinese market, and so she did pitch it to Chinese investors at one stage #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
Some people questioned whether it would be better aimed at a Chinese market, and so she did pitch it to Chinese investors at one stage #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
But even there, they didn’t get the story she wanted to tell and wanted to change the emphasis in ways that wouldn’t stay true to the story #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
There were cultural differences even while making the film. The Chinese crew spoke to people in a very different way to the US crew, and when the two overlapped it sometimes too some explaining #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
Lulu speaks about the slightly unusual way the story is told - it doesn’t necessarily have that catharsis and sense of rising action that you get in typical screenplays #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
During the development process she did try writing a screenplay that fit within those traditional dramatic beats, but it just didn’t work #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
It’s the whole situation that’s dramatic - it doesn’t need those cliched moments of action to be dramatic #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
There were lots of scenes that were planned to be visual. On paper they sounded ridiculous, but Lulu knew they would work once filmed #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
Lulu’s now working on what she describes as a “mundane sci-fi” - it’s sci-fi, but very grounded and deals with emotions and real life #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
Lulu’s now working on what she describes as a “mundane sci-fi” - it’s sci-fi, but very grounded and deals with emotions and real life #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
And that’s a wrap! A huge thank you to @thumbelulu for joining us and sharing the wonderful @thefarewell with us. Catch it in cinemas this week #DUKfarewell
— Directors UK (@Directors_UK) September 16, 2019
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