About the film

This documentary is a portrait of two Chinese women trying to make it in a society governed by patriarchal traditions. They find support in an ancient language that Chinese women have used for centuries to communicate with each other.

Chinese women have always been expected to subordinate their lives to the wishes of their fathers, husbands, and sons. Reading and writing were forbidden to them for a long time. Yet they found a way to pass messages among themselves while preserving their testimonies for future generations. They invented their own language, called nüshu (literally "women's writing"). Shot with great sensitivity and deliberation, the film follows a pair of independent women who face misogyny daily in today's China. Xin Hu is a newly divorced curator, while musician Simu Wu is preparing for her wedding. The secret language reminds them of the importance of women's solidarity, and helps them assert their voices.