Hidden Letters

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Hidden Letters

2022

1h 26m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

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22 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Hidden Letters tells the story of two Chinese women trying to balance their lives as independent women in modern China while confronting the traditional identity that defines but also oppresses them. Connected through their love for Nushu -- a centuries-old secret text shared amongst women -- each of them transforms through a pivotal period of their lives and takes a step closer to becoming the individuals they know they can be.

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Dennis Harvey

Variety

Dec 30, 2022

A meditative, finally upbeat pulse-taking of a sisterhood that stretches from an archaic writing form’s earliest days to the theoretically liberated women of China today.

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Devika Girish

New York Times

Dec 8, 2022

The film’s attempts to connect the past and the present feel too glib, lacking the force of historical detail.

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Phil Hoad

Guardian

Nov 30, 2022

4/5

This is a deft act of historical revival.

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William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

Aug 13, 2024

4/5

Violet Du Feng’s documentary, Hidden Letters, is a carefully considered, fiercely potent snapshot of a country and society in flux.

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Damon Wise

Deadline Hollywood Daily

Sep 19, 2023

The past, present and future of women in China’s oppressively patriarchal society is a big topic to address in under 90 minutes, but Violet Du Feng’s unassuming but very moving documentary Hidden Letters covers a lot of ground.

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Loren King

Newport This Week (RI)

Feb 9, 2023

Directors Violet Du Feng and Zhao Qing have made an accessible and eye-opening film about women’s history and human perseverance.

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André A

@MaximusVikingar May 7, 2025

What seems like a simple look into an old artform, becomes an eerie and effective reflection of the present.

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Violet Du Feng

Director

Xin Hu

Self

Simu Wu

Self

He Yanxin

Self

Violet Du Feng

Screenwriter

John Farbrother

Screenwriter

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Synopsis

Hidden Letters tells the story of two Chinese women trying to balance their lives as independent women in modern China while confronting the traditional identity that defines but also oppresses them. Connected through their love for Nushu -- a centuries-old secret text shared amongst women -- each of them transforms through a pivotal period of their lives and takes a step closer to becoming the individuals they know they can be.

Director: Violet Du Feng
Producer: Mette Cheng Munthe Kaas, Jean Tsien, Su Kim
Screenwriter: Violet Du Feng, John Farbrother
Production Co: Corporation For Public Broadcasting, Arte, Ten Thousand Images, Fish + Bear Pictures, EST Studios
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Chinese
Runtime: 1h 26m

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