A chorus of voices in harmony

Luo Tong, a 50-year-old filmmaker, is still called as a "girl" by her former classmates and fellows from a high-school girls' choir in Shanghai, who became famous briefly for their singing talents on the national stage in the early 1990s.

The "Shanghai Girls" chorus members, who are now middle aged, reunited for the first time in decades in 2020 to share their stories, tears and laughter, and reflect on what it means to be a woman. Later, their life stories became a documentary in Luo's hands, titled Shanghai Girls, which hit the screen last November.

The documentary, jointly produced by LP Films and Docu-China Co owned by Shanghai Media Group, won the Best Asian Documentary award in the competition section at the La Femme Independent Film Festival held in Paris, France, in 2023.

Since last November, the film has got 153 preview screenings on the Elemeet platform and drawn about 2,000 audiences across the nation, many of which are young and middle-aged viewers. The farthest screening took place in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Zhang Li, one of the chorus members, was a motivating factor for Luo to make the film. Zhang had a stable job and happy family life after she graduated from high school, until 2019. That year, she went through a divorce, moved out of her ex-husband's house, struggled for financial independence, and battled personal trauma — for the very first time in her life.

"I had never lived alone. I, a divorced 45-year-old woman, had only 2,000 yuan ($276.2) in my pocket. I had no money, no house, no job. Moreover, I had my teenage daughter and elderly mother to care for. I had to find a way to live, for them and myself," Zhang told Luo.

Luo saw Zhang's determination in the eyes and was encouraged to find Zhang's resolve in her other fellows and eventually, in herself. As she reconnected with her former classmates, she uncovered the winding paths they each walked, through marriage, career, love, family and ambition, to where they are today.

"The stories in Shanghai Girls are the stories of a generation of women. They are your classmates, your friends and your colleagues. They are your wives, mothers and sisters. You pass by them every day on the street," writes Luo about the documentary, describing it as a portrait of a generation, a collection of rarely-told stories of middle-aged women, and a complex chorus of voices in harmony.

Luo fixed her lens on dozens of women in the documentary, among whom Zhang's struggle has impressed and echoed with many audiences. At that time, she was trying hard to rebuild her life and her inner self. Busy with work, yoga lessons and side hustles, she was forced to figure out her goals. Going through loads of ups and downs, about five years after filming, Zhang — who just celebrated her 50th birthday — finally overcame her challenges and is thriving in a new chapter of life as the owner of a sports studio.

"I feel living a life is like walking on a path with an empty pocket, during which you collect your experiences and stories and put them into the pocket to make it full. They are never right nor wrong, but are all your harvests that indicate new possibilities. For me, I see my divorce as a good thing, as it closed one chapter but opened a new one in my life," says Zhang with a bright smile.

Currently teaching yoga and other sports with partner, Zhang enjoys every moment of her life with a sense of accomplishment. Looking back at herself in the documentary, she clearly sees her growth inside and is grateful for the challenges. Previously a hothead, she is now calmer and balanced as she prioritizes health and happiness and finds inner peace.

"The documentary is like a gift for us all. We may go through different situations and have various stories, but we share a similar journey — discovering ourselves. Life is full of possibilities. We never know where our next step will lead us," Zhang tells China Daily. "But there will be a moment or point where you realize that every step you have taken has prepared you for the life ahead and brought you there, eventually and smoothly. We have arrived, as you can see for yourself."

While Zhang's story involves much about marriage and family, that of another chorus member Liu Ping has been more about a solo, independent journey. As she chooses to remain single, Liu has been living a carefree life and continuously enjoys exploring the world by investing her time in various interests such as diving, horseback riding, boxing and golf. In the documentary, she jokes that she is going to be "an old lady skateboarding in a qipao (cheongsam)".

"I am a fast learner, but I'm only pursuing a better-than-average level. We only live once, and I just want to try and experience more. My goal and my motto are the same: To live is to experience," Liu tells China Daily.

But it does not mean Liu did not face any challenges. She says she is fortunate to have a job she likes and a teamlike family, in which she devotes half of her energy. Liu mentions a former colleague in the film, who used to be very free-spirited and unrestrained but said her life became restricted after having a child. Yet, when asked if she had regrets, she honestly answered: "A little."

"Don't let regret follow you always. This is my motivation to learn new things. You can't waste life," says Liu.

Despite diverse challenges, difficulties and regrets, these "Shanghai girls" share one trait, that is, they truly love who they are today and though they do miss their younger 30-year-old selves, they would not trade their 50s for anything. Zhang believes that her friends in the film are actually confident about sharing their lives and thoughts, and the confidence comes from their firm belief that the future will get even better.

"We have to make thousands of choices each day. Instead of regretting them, we could absorb the valuable parts and make them the motivation to carry us further. Just look at us, we have been through so much," Zhang says. "I hope audiences (of the film) can also believe in themselves and love themselves, be it in their girlhood or when they are middle-aged women or elderly ladies."

It also echoes with director Luo's message and encouragement to the audience: "The women's stories are the countless trivial details that make up lives, but it is here that they acquire their strength and warmth. They inspire me to face the challenges in my own life. I hope that their stories and vitality do the same."