IFFBoston Preview Part III: Colorful dogs, whistleblowers, and awkward karate

The Farewell

Wednesday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Coolidge Corner Theatre

This year’s closing night film is definitely a can’t-miss feature, as it was one of the true jewels of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which is where we saw it back in January. An autobiographical feature from director Lulu Wang, this dramedy tells the story of a family who, upon finding out that their beloved grandmother has terminal cancer, decides not to tell her about the diagnosis so that she can live out her final days in peace. The family gathers back in China from the places they’ve immigrated to for a hastily-planned wedding/reunion, but the whole endeavor leaves Billi (Awkwafina), a New York-based writer, with a bad taste in her mouth. Does she go along with her family’s wishes, or does she tell her grandmother the truth? Bring plenty of tissues for this one, even if you’ll be stunned by how funny the proceedings are.