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ARCHIVE

3rd(2001)



Nu Shu: A Hidden Language of Women in China

Yang Yue-Qing

  • Canada
  • 1999
  • 58min
  • Beta
  • color

SYNOPSIS

¡°Nu Shu¡±, feminine writing, as opposed to ¡°Nan Shu¡± is a language that developed over time in a particular area of China. In Korea, women had a form of writing that unified speech and writing, and there was something like this in Japan, too. However, none of these lasted, except for that of the women of the Yao, a minority race, in China. 86-year-old Yang Huan-Yi, is the only surviving person who can still read and write this language, but she, too, is sick. They were, in fact, the victims of foot-binding feudalism and slavery. They would gather together to knit, embroider, and sing in ¡°Nu Shu,¡± expressing their rage against male domination. Apart from the simple fact that Nu Shu is a form of women¡¯s writing, one of the reasons why it is valuable is that it created a sub culture of women within a patriarchal society. The shapes and letters represent this culture even now.
 Women¡¯s exclusive writing is about to disappear. Their songs and language are surprisingly lyrical and free. For a long time, this language of their own strengthened the ties between women and we hope it will continue to be maintained in the future. (Bae Doo-Rye)
 

PROGRAM NOTE

¡°Nu Shu¡±, feminine writing, as opposed to ¡°Nan Shu¡± is a language that developed over time in a particular area of China. In Korea, women had a form of writing that unified speech and writing, and there was something like this in Japan, too. However, none of these lasted, except for that of the women of the Yao, a minority race, in China. 86-year-old Yang Huan-Yi, is the only surviving person who can still read and write this language, but she, too, is sick. They were, in fact, the victims of foot-binding feudalism and slavery. They would gather together to knit, embroider, and sing in ¡°Nu Shu,¡± expressing their rage against male domination. Apart from the simple fact that Nu Shu is a form of women¡¯s writing, one of the reasons why it is valuable is that it created a sub culture of women within a patriarchal society. The shapes and letters represent this culture even now.
 Women¡¯s exclusive writing is about to disappear. Their songs and language are surprisingly lyrical and free. For a long time, this language of their own strengthened the ties between women and we hope it will continue to be maintained in the future. (Bae Doo-Rye)
 

Director

  • Yang Yue-QingYang Yue-Qing

    Yang Yue-Qing first majored in Biology in university then went on to undergo Film Studies. Her Chinese Forest Frog, a scientific documentary was broadcast nationwide by the China Central Television in 1988. And documentary series, Footbinding- The Three Inch Golden Lotus, was screened at the 4th World Women¡¯s Conference in Beijing.

Credit

  • Screenwriter Yang Yue-Qing
  • Cinematography Yang Yue-Qing, Li Du-Yan, Yang Jing
  • Editor Paul Lievesley
  • Music Zhang Jin
  • Sound Tony Randall, Dale Darlington