A poignant still from the heartfelt documentary Shanghai Girls, capturing the essence of women’s lifelong friendships.
At 50, filmmaker Luo Tong still carries the affectionate nickname ‘girl’ from her former classmates – members of Shanghai’s renowned high-school girls’ choir that briefly captured national attention in the early 1990s with their exceptional singing talents.
In 2020, these now middle-aged ‘Shanghai Girls’ reunited after decades apart, sharing laughter, tears, and profound reflections on womanhood. Their emotional gathering and life journeys inspired Luo to create the documentary Shanghai Girls, which premiered in November 2023.
This remarkable film, a collaboration between LP Films and Shanghai Media Group’s Docu-China Co., earned the prestigious Best Asian Documentary award at the 2023 La Femme Independent Film Festival in Paris.
Since its November release, Shanghai Girls has resonated deeply with audiences nationwide, with 153 preview screenings on the Elemeet platform attracting approximately 2,000 viewers – predominantly young and middle-aged adults. The documentary’s reach extended as far as Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, demonstrating its universal appeal.
