Rockford’s Bing Liu to debut as a narrative filmmaker with “Preparation for the Next Life”

(WTVO) — Rockford native and Oscar-nominated Director Bing Liu is making his first foray into creating narrative-based films with “Preparation for the Next Life.”

The movie is an adaptation of the novel

Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish.

Liu is working alongside some of the film world’s biggest stars to produce the screenplay, including Brad Pitt, IndieWire reports.

The film follows the love story of an undocumented Uyghur woman, played by Sebiye Behtiyar, who is trying to make her own way in New York City and escape her past life in China.

She falls in love with an Iraq War veteran, played by Fred Hechinger, who recently returned from three tours and has PTSD.

Liu is best known for his Oscar-nominated documentary “Minding the Gap.” The film highlights skateboard culture and intergenerational violence.

Preparation for the Next Life is set to release on September 5th.