Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures Zhuoyi Wang recently published in China Currents a review of the new Chinese feminist-inspired blockbuster Her Story (2024), often described as China’s answer to Barbie (2023).
Wang argues that Her Story is a “stand-up film” that adopts the rhythm, tone, and social tensions of stand-up comedy to deliver gender critique in a tactically restrained form. By pulling its punches and sheathing its blade, the film embeds its feminist message within warmth and humor to navigate backlash and censorship. It centers intergenerational female solidarity while balancing disillusionment with hope. Full text of the review is available here.
Posted August 5, 2025
