To Say, Farewell

To Say, Farewell

Wang Libo • 2024

Duration: 01:28:28
Language: Mandarin
Subtitles: English
Country/Region: Mainland China

In a Manhattan apartment in New York, there lived a 96-year-old solitary elderly person, Gao Yaojie. Seen as the first grassroots AIDS activist in China, Gao was forced to flee to the United States from China at the age of 82. The elderly woman’s long and tumultuous life mirrors the turbulent modern history of China. The film documents the lonely last three months of Gao Yaojie’s life. On 10 December 2023, Gao Yaojie passed away in New York.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

Wang Libo

Wang Libo

Director

Initially, I merely intended to document the life of Gao Yaojie, a witness to modern Chinese history. However, as the filming progressed, I was gradually moved by the loneliness of the elderly in her later years. This once sensational figure who shook China and the world found solace in this apartment, which became her final refuge, a quiet and solitary island. I began to realize that this was not just a documentary shooting but also an emotional journey. I hope this film can transcend the conventional framework of documentaries, becoming a vessel of emotions and offering a sincere reflection on history, life, loneliness, and death. May it reveal to the world the transcendent ‘compassion’ beyond love and life.

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