Awkwafina
The Farewell captures the nuanced complexity of family and cultural values
Arts September 14, 2019By: Kitty Cheung, Peak Associate The Farewell begins with the words “Based on an actual lie,” alluding to the fact that this story was derived from filmmaker Lulu Wang’s personal life. Starring rapper-comedian-actor Awkwafina, the 2019 film centers on Billi, a Chinese-American writer who finds out that her Nai Nai (“grandmother” in Mandarin) has been diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Devastated, her family decides to carry on the cultural tradition of collective grief, bearing the weight of this news for Nai Nai — and keeping it a secret from her. Embarking on an elaborate ruse, they stage a wedding…
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Album versus Album: Awkwafina
Peak Web May 17, 2019By: Kitty Cheung, Staff Writer Yellow Ranger (2014) Tongue-in-cheek, clever, and remorselessly brash, rapper Awkwafina is a comedian at heart. In her debut album, this Asian-American rapper proudly flaunts her heritage as she spits with a “mouth from the motherfucking West”…
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