Newport Beach Film Festival 2009

An Irish funeral has a wake. A Jewish funeral has “sitting shiva.” A traditional Chinese funeral is something else entirely. That’s what the estranged siblings of the Chinese-American Xiao family must undergo upon news of their mother’s death. The one brother and three sisters don’t get along, however they share one thing: hatred for their domineering and manipulative mother, the “Dragon Lady." Yet, as they honor her request for a traditional seven-day funeral, the siblings face an adventure of surprises, clashes, and unveiled secrets. In the end they learn about themselves, each other, their mother, forgiveness, and what it means to be Chinese.