“It takes 1,000 years of good prayers for a father and daughter to get along”. Thus begins “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers”: a touching portrait of a Chinese father and daughter trying to bridge the vast gap of geography, language and culture that divides them.
Based on a story by Li Yi Yun about an elderly man who travels from Beijing to Washington state to visit his recently divorced daughter he’s not seen in many years, “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers” is a wistful meditation on loneliness, connecting with strangers and the communication gap between parent and child. Henry O gives a subtle and heartfelt performance as Mr. Shi, a traditional Chinese father who is worried about his Americanized daughter and questions her decidedly non-traditional lifestyle choices. In turn, the daughter Yilan (Faye Yu) is defensive and resents her father’s meddling into her private life. Over the course of his short visit, they gradually open up and reveal some hidden secrets that enable them to begin to heal their relationship. Director Wayne Wang complements the father-daughter drama with a modest yet moving minor story between Mr. Shi and Madam, an Iranian immigrant he encounters in a local park, as they form a close bond talking about their children.
Overall, this is a quiet film - filled with moments of tenderness, humor and sadness - that illustrates some universal truths about human connection and how encounters between strangers can be more intimate than those amongst family.
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