Moral Duties

How Moral Duties Are Displayed in The Farewell

By: Nina Borja 

             When delving into Louis Day’s six moral duties of media creators, The Farewell clearly exhibits society and individual conscience. The Director and creator of The Farewell, Lulu Wang, intentionally redirects her own personal experiences as an Asian American into a mirrored depiction of her struggling perspectives. Throughout this process, Wang consistently pulls her conscience to the forefront of this film’s storyline. Her comfort and integrity are shown through the film’s main character, Billi, where both women, director, and character, undergo the cultural tug and tow of being Asian American. The film’s main message is directed as a question of moral principle. This principle, which Wang elaborates on in The Farewell, is how to balance two cultural sides within one’s own diaspora. 

            Through the moral duty of society, Wang’s film showcases a genuine Asian American representation. This in turn is for the film’s main audience; Asian Americans. Wang, once again as director, understands not only the public’s interest but also the public’s need for more authentic Asian media representation. From a medium standpoint, other films within the industry, such as Jon M. Chu’s Crazy Rich Asians, depict the Asian American experience in a surficial manner, where comedic stereotypes and one-dimensional cultural tropes left Asian American audiences in the hands of white mainstream expectations. The Farewell counteracts this conflict by pulling from actual everyday experiences rather than fabricated fantasies.

             Therefore, when discussing objects of moral judgment, Day’s second listed moral duty, the impact of The Farewell onto its audience can be seen directly caused by Wang’s decision to go that route of representation in her film. The decision to tell an Asian American story through an everyday Asian American cultural lens increases proper representation for the Asian community. It allows other demographic audiences to also understand deeply what it means to be Asian and Asian American. The Farewell takes into consideration its audience first and foremost. It is a film that doesn’t prioritize anything other than telling a true story several generations can relate to, which in itself, is the most impactful thing a film can ever do.