A First Farewell
Children | China | 2018 | 88 minutes | Uyghur, Chinese
The directorial debut from Xinjiang's Lina Wang is a poem to her hometown, portraying a Muslim farm boy's relationship with his deaf-mute mother, his friendship with his sweetheart girl, and his parting from them. The first international Uyghur film from Xinjiang, China by a homegrown female director.
Festivals
2018 Tokyo International Film Festival Asian Future section - Best Film
2019 Berlinale Generation Kplus - Grand Prix
2019 Hong Kong Int'l Film Festival - Firebird Award for Best Film
2019 Reel 2 Real Int'l Film Festival for Youth - Edith Lando Peace Prize
2019 Women Int'l Film Festival in Salé - Best Actor
2019 Sharjah Int'l Children's Film Festival - Best Film
2019 Hainan Island Int'l Film Festival - Best Director
2019 Olympia Int'l Festival for Children and Young People -
Greek Film Club’s Association Award
2020 BIKY Busan Int'l Kids and Youth Film Festival -
Embrace the Difference Feature Award
2020 Tokyo China Film Week
2021 Refugee Film Festival Helsinki
Trailer
"The Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury for the Best Feature Film goes to an honest cinematic exploration of what it means to grow up in the Uyghur minority in China. This poetic and intimate film gives us insight into the changing relations within two families living in a culture caught between traditional and modern perspectives. Visually arresting and deeply moving, this film makes us question what it means to be close, what it means to be distant and how the young protagonists of the film evolve through their first farewells." - Generation Kplus International Jury
"That Wang wanted to craft a cinematic tribute to her hometown is especially evident in A First Farewell’s wide, crisp, eye-catching visuals." - Screen
"A quietly heartbreaking drama...Much, much more than just child's play." - Hollywood Reporter
Synopsis
Isa Yasan is a simple and kind boy from the countryside in Xinjiang, China. His mother is sick. She cannot talk and always wanders away from home. Isa loves his mother deeply, and is torn between guarding her and going to school. His best friend Kalbinur is a lively little girl. They take care a lamb together. From the grape yard to the poplar forest and to the desert, they are always bounded together. Kalbinur and her brothers’ grades are bad, so her mother wants to move to the city and make them focus on the study. Meanwhile, Isa’s father decides to send Isa’s mother to a nursing home. When the season is over, they will have to learn to say farewell to their beloved.
Crew
Director
WANG Lina - 2019 2nd Hainan Island IFF Best Director
Editor
Matthieu Maclau
JIA ZHangke's long term collaborator including A TOUCH OF SIN, MOUNTAIN MAY DEPART and ASH IS PURIST WHITE
Sound
Danfeng LI
Golden Horse Best Sound Award - LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT
Composer
WENZI
BLACK COAL, THIN ICE; ANGELS WEAR WHITE