Lilting

Lilting centers on Richard, a reserved Englishman who grieves the death of Kai, a young man of Chinese-Cambodian background who was his partner for four years. Kai's mother Junn, played by Cheng Pei-Pei, arrives in London and their lives collide despite a wide gap in language and culture. As Richard and Junn try to understand one another, they cling to memories and rituals that transcend words. The film quietly follows their tentative bond as it grows through shared moments, photos, meals, and small acts of care. In the face of loss, communication becomes less about translation and more about presence. Their fragile, evolving bond challenges expectations about what family means.

Directed by Hong Khaou, Lilting arrived in 2014 as his feature debut, pairing intimate storytelling with a documentary-like tenderness. The script foregrounds spoken and unspoken communication, making use of long takes and closeups to draw the audience into Richard and Junn's evolving connection. The production uses close, natural lighting and responsive sound design.

Lilting drew attention for its restrained approach to cross cultural grief and the way language barriers shape memory and connection. Critics praised Cheng Pei-Pei's performance as Junn and the film's emphasis on ordinary, intimate moments rather than melodrama, contributing to discussions about representation in independent cinema. The film also sparked conversations about diaspora experience and multilingual storytelling in British cinema.

Reception and themes: Critics praised the film for its humane portrayal of love that crosses cultural lines and for turning grief into a shared process rather than a solitary burden. The screenplay privileges small, precise details, a whispered confession, a repaired tea cup, and a memory kept alive through a photograph, over melodrama. Ben Whishaw and Cheng Pei-Pei deliver restrained, human performances that anchor the film, inviting viewers to consider memory, belonging, and how language can both divide and bind.