Hundreds of years ago, cut off from the outside world and confined to so-called chamber rooms, rural women in Jiangyong in southern China did something radical and transformative: they invented their own secret language. Speaking and writing “Nushu” to each other, the women found their voice and created a community of sisterhood. In her poetical and powerful documentary “Hidden Letters”, director Violet Du Feng (“Maineland”, “Confucian Dream”) explores the fascinating history of Nushu and follows two contemporary women who are fighting to keep the language alive and true to its original spirit.
Violet joins Ken on “Top Docs” to discuss Nushu, its current context, and her multi-layered creative approach. How did Violet decide that the key to the film was not just focusing on Nushu but on the “modern” Chinese woman and the staggering societal pressures she faces? In the midst of her production, why did she abandon the idea of animation and go in a completely different direction? And, in the face of Nushu’s recent commercialization, how can its practitioners ensure that Nushu continues to exist “in the internal space of who we are”?
“Hidden Letters” is one of 15 documentaries named to the Oscar Shortlist in the category of Best Documentary Feature. Distributed by Cargo Film and Releasing, the film premieres on Independent Lens on March 27th.
Follow:
@topdocspod on Instagram and twitter
@violetdufeng on Instagram and @HiddenLetters_ on twitter
Hidden Gem: Happiness is £4 Million
The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.
Classic: "Summer of Soul" with Amir "Questlove" Thompson (from January 2022)
Classic: "Navalny" with Daniel Roher (from September 2022)
Our Most Popular Pods, Season 3
"The Greatest Night in Pop" with Bao Nguyen
"Girls State" with Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss
"Anxious Nation" with Laura Morton & Vanessa Roth
"Reality Winner" with Sonia Kennebeck
Oscar Nominees Special with Clayton Davis
"Daughters" with Angela Patton & Natalie Rae
"To Kill a Tiger" with Nisha Pahuja
"Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma)" with Sean Wang
"The Last Repair Shop" with Kris Bowers & Ben Proudfoot
“Island in Between” with S. Leo Chiang & Jean Tsien
"The Barber of Little Rock" with John Hoffman
"The ABCs of Book Banning" with Trish Adlesic
"Porcelain War" with Slava Leontyev & Brendan Bellomo
"Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza" with Michael John Warren
"Union" with Brett Story, Stephen Maing & Chris Smalls
"Sugarcane" with Julian Brave Noisecat & Emily Kassie
”Four Daughters” with Kaouther Ben Hania
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Cinema: A to B
I Finally Watched...
Star Wars Escape Pod
Pod Meets World
Pop Culture Happy Hour