Lilting

Junn, played by the beloved late Cheng Pei-Pei, is an elderly Cambodian Chinese widow still grappling with the death of her son, Kai. Her life is further complicated by Richard (Ben Whishaw), Kai’s boyfriend, seeking to build a more intimate connection despite their language barriers. With the help of a translator, the two uneasily embark on a journey of mutual understanding, transforming the prickly relationship into tethered solace. Through its non-linear narrative, Lilting delivers a tremendously insightful study of loss and coping, of fractured memories and graceful acceptance.

Hong Khaou’s Lilting reminds us that grief can be a delicate bridge, a thin lifeline that transcends language and cultural barriers.

Free Admission! Part of our “Love, Loss, and Longing” series. Courtesy of Strand Releasing. In English and Mandarin (with subtitles).

Sponsored by the East Asia Program and the Southeast Asia Program at the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies and co-presented by QGrads, Cornell’s LGBTQIA2S+ Graduate Student Association.