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The boundaries of language, sexuality and culture are pushed to the limits in Lilting, the delicate and sentimental directorial debut from Cambodian-born, London-based filmmaker Hong Khaou. Centred on the life of elderly Chinese-Cambodian woman June (Cheng Pei-Pei) and the relationship she has with her late son’s partner Richard (Ben Whishaw), the film explores the intense grief and desire for closure that fuels both of them and grapples with the question of how to cope when left behind, especially when the people sharing grief do not share a language.

The film opens with strong-willed June feeling abandoned and lonely in a drab and dreary retirement centre that was meant to make her feel at home, longing for the days when her only son Kai (Andrew Leung) would visit, joke and laugh with her, and promise to soon take her to live with him. June dislikes Kai’s friend and flatmate Richard and feels he is keeping mother and son apart by refusing to move out of the flat. When Richard comes visiting after Kai’s death she makes no secret of her disdain for him, feeling that he was the reason she couldn’t live with Kai.

A guilty and embattled Richard returns with an interpreter named Vann (Naomi Christie) who is fluent in English and Mandarin, initially so June can converse with her new beau Alan (Peter Bowles) but also to help Richard seek closure with the woman who knew nothing about his true relationship with Kai. Vann initially translates simple phrases and is a bystander to the emotional jabs between Richard and June, but as time passes Richard must carefully and painfully censor his own language and feelings of love for Kai so as not to out him to his mother while Vann tries to set them free with the truth.

The film’s trajectory is fairly predictable, and the plot continues without any major shake up as June and Richard try to make sense of their relationship to each other. The film excels in presenting a very real and fragile dynamic between two people whose point of connection is no longer alive. June doesn’t know why Richard cared so strongly for Kai; Vann can’t see why Richard won’t be honest with June; Alan and June’s dates are “chaperoned” by the ever translating Vann. All four of these characters are brought together by Kai, whose appearance in hauntingly tender flashbacks drives home how much both Richard and June loved him.

At times over sentimental — due in part to a repetitive soundtrack that kicks in to underscore all emotional scenes and a slight overuse of freeze frame — Lilting is an impressive debut for director Hong Khaou. He presents somewhat of a nightmare situation for many LGBT people where their unspoken relationships in life are left unspoken when their partner passes away. The small but engaging cast bring life to multilingual scenes that would be difficult in the hands of lesser actors. Veteran martial arts actress Cheng takes on a completely different role here as the elderly but defiant June, inhabiting the part perfectly and Whishaw infuses Richard with real depth and vulnerability with supporting players Christie and Bowles offering sometimes much needed comic relief.

Lilting is a short film, focused on a few characters at a very specific time in their lives. While its script is direct and free from any twists or surprises, it is anchored down by meticulous acting and condensed intimate cinematography. Hong Khaou has delivered a very human story about love, ageing and truth.

Lilting opens in the IFI on Friday the 8th of August.