Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Chinese: 奶奶跟外婆; pinyin: Nǎinai gēn Wàipó; also known as Grandma & Grandma) is a 2023 documentary short film directed by Sean Wang about his Taiwanese immigrant paternal and maternal grandmothers. It was acquired by Disney Entertainment for distribution and premiered on Disney+ and Hulu on February 9, 2024. The film was nominated for Best Documentary Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
Contents
Premise
The film features Wang's elderly grandmothers as he films them going about their daily lives. Yi Yan Fuei, Wang's paternal grandmother (nǎi nai), is 94 years old, while Chang Li Hua, his maternal grandmother (wài pó), is 83. They are both Taiwanese immigrants who live together in their home in Fremont, California, sleeping in the same bed and spending their day together.
Production
The short was filmed in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Wang had returned home from New York City. Wang was inspired to create the film when he spent more time with his grandmothers and realized "they're the most pure form of joy in my life." Moreover, Wang calls this film a "personal love letter" to his grandmothers. At the time of filming, anti-Asian racism and hate crimes were becoming more prominent in the United States as a result of the pandemic. Wang also owed the juxtaposition of reading news of violence and spending time with his cheerful grandparents as inspiration for the film. The film touches on themes of family, loneliness, and mortality as close friends pass.
Release
The film premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2023, where it won both the Grand Jury and Audience Award for documentary shorts. It was later screened at AFI Fest on October 27, 2023, winning the Grand Jury Prize.
In November 2023, Disney Branded Television acquired the film for distribution. It was announced that the short would be the first of a revival of the People & Places series, which originally ran from 1953 to 1960 and featured short subject documentary films set in various locations around the world. The film was released on both Disney+ and Hulu on February 9, 2024.