Herstory: A heartfelt ode to feminism, friendship and everyday liberation

Shao Yihui's Herstory (好東西) is an undeniably engaging and thought-provoking film that has captivated audiences, earning a well-deserved 9.1 rating on Douban. Following her highly praised directorial debut B For Busy (2021), Shao returns with her second feature, a cinematic exploration that celebrates the quiet power of women in a world where their everyday lives are anything but ordinary. Herstory not only challenges our perceptions of the roles women play in society but also redefines the small, yet powerful acts of rebellion and liberation they perform daily.

The film stars Song Jia as Wang Tiemei, an editor who moves into a bustling urban neighborhood with her daughter, Wang Moli (played by Zeng Mumei). Elaine Zhong portrays Xiaoye, a free-spirited, aspiring singer who forms an unexpected bond with Tiemei. Together, these three women navigate their lives with humor, strength, and moments of quiet grace, confronting everyday struggles, from balancing work and family to managing strained relationships. Their evolving friendship becomes a central theme, beautifully capturing the resilience, vulnerability and defiance of women as they carve out their own space in a world that often marginalizes them.

The film unfolds in a dynamic, slice-of-life format, presenting the characters' interactions and challenges in real time. While Tiemei juggles her responsibilities as a mother and editor, Moli searches for her forte in the world, and Xiaoye faces her own emotional and romantic turmoil. Through it all, their friendship becomes a source of strength and liberation. The narrative is tender yet humorous, highlighting the ordinary yet extraordinary ways women navigate their lives, from the quiet acts of resistance to the joy found in the simplest moments.

Herstory does not simply tackle feminist themes head-on; rather, it weaves them seamlessly into the fabric of everyday life. The film presents a feminist lens through which to view the world, making the personal political without ever being preachy. For example, a moving company named "Kangaroo Mom" serves as a subtle yet powerful statement about the ways women carve out spaces for themselves in unexpected places. Similarly, Tiemei's confrontation with a man urinating in public is more than just a humorous moment—it is an act of reclaiming public space and demanding respect. These everyday moments, whether it's fixing a broken lightbulb or confronting a stalker, are framed as acts of agency, resistance and defiance. What might seem like mundane activities—repairing, confronting, standing up for oneself—are, in fact, small revolutions that question the boundaries of what is permissible and what is not.

One of the most poignant moments in Herstory occurs when Xiaoye confides in her friends about the shame she felt surrounding menstruation during her childhood. She reveals that she once took medication to delay her period, treating menstruation as something to be hidden or avoided. In contrast, Tiemei's daughter, Moli, innocently challenges this notion, asking, "But why? Periods aren't dirty. Half the people in the world bleed, don't they?" Moli's simple, yet powerful, statement cuts through years of social conditioning and shame surrounding menstruation, a topic that is often treated as taboo in both personal and public discourse. This candid conversation exemplifies Herstory's deft handling of social taboos and its commitment to normalizing the experiences and voices of women.

The film also uses sound as a unique storytelling device, elevating mundane household chores to an almost magical level. In one whimsical sequence, the sounds of everyday tasks—Tiemei hanging laundry, washing shoes, peeling vegetables—are transformed into childlike guesses: "A spaceship launching! A panda eating bamboo! A mudslide!" These playful guesses turn the ordinary into something extraordinary, underscoring the film's theme that beauty and meaning can be found in even the most routine aspects of life. This moment is a reflection of Shao Yihui's own experiences with insomnia and her use of ASMR to soothe herself to sleep, adding a personal touch to the film's soundscape.

Through these small yet significant moments, Herstory challenges our perceptions of the mundane. The ordinary, it suggests, is anything but ordinary—it is full of rhythm, beauty and meaning. In a world that often demands women to be selfless and invisible, the film reimagines these everyday acts as powerful expressions of self-determination. Tiemei is not just a mother—she is a woman who takes pride in fixing her own appliances, standing up to harassment and building a new future for her daughter. The film asks us to envision a world where women are the architects of their own stories, where their voices are central, not secondary; where they make the rules and define their own boundaries.

The pacing and tone of Herstory strike a delicate balance between humor and gravity, offering a refreshing, deeply human exploration of womanhood. As the characters navigate their lives, they find joy in the simplest of things—a spontaneous conversation, a shared meal, a moment of quiet connection. These small, everyday joys are a testament to the warmth, strength and resilience of women. Herstory is not only a feminist film but also a universal story about empowerment, friendship, and the unexpected places where we find strength.

In conclusion, Herstory is a triumph of filmmaking—a film that celebrates feminism, friendship and liberation with humor, heart and depth. Shao Yihui has created a narrative that speaks to women's experiences with honesty and warmth, inviting the audience to imagine a world where women can be the architects of their own futures. It reminds us that the "Herstory" of our lives—those moments of defiance, connection and joy—are worth celebrating, no matter how small they may seem.

Fang Xiaoya is an undergraduate of English Major at Soochow University.

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