Director Wayne Wang (center) and co-producer Wendi Deng (second from right) join actresses Vivian Wu (right), Gianna Jun (left) and Li Bingbing in promoting their film, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" in Shanghai during the 14th Shanghai International Film Festival on Sunday, June 12, 2011. In this China-US co-production, Li Bingbing and Gianna Jun portray a life-long friendship between two Chinese women. The film is slated for release in China on June 24, and in North America on July 15. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Xie Tingting]

The new film, "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" is a cross-cultural hybrid in many aspects: Both producer Wendi Deng Murdoch and director Wayne Wang are Chinese-Americans; the cast includes Chinese actress Li Bingbing, South Korean actress Gianna Jun, and Australian actor Hugh Jackman; they speak either English or Mandarin or both in the film.

However, behind such a strong international lineup is an ancient Chinese story. Inspired by the same-title novel written by Lisa See (another Chinese-American), "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" tells a special, lifetime friendship between two women living in the androcentric 19th-century China.

In the film, Snow Flower and Lily, played by Gianna Jun and Li Bingbing respectively, communicate with each other by writing a secret language on silk fans. In real life, the secret language, known in Chinese as nv shu - women's language - has existed for thousands of years. Some Chinese women, mostly living in the central Chinese province of Hunan, wrote almost unrecognizable characters to share emotions with their confidants.

When Wendi Deng read Lisa See's novel four years ago, it struck a chord with her. "Although the story is about two Chinese women, the theme is universal. It can resonate with the world," Deng said on June 12, 2011 on the sidelines of the 14th Shanghai International Film Festival.

Deng, who was born in China, adapted it to the big screen, and bought the rights along with her friend and working partner, Florence Low Sloan.

"I think making a film about China can help promote Chinese culture to the world," Deng said, "I hope by doing so I can stimulate more Hollywood producers to come to work with Chinese directors."

Deng, who is the wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, has used her social influence to rally a strong production team. She said at a press conference in Shanghai, "We got director Wayne Wang, who is very famous in both China and the U.S.; we got screenwriter Ron Bass, who has won an Oscar; we got music composer Rachel Portman, another Oscar winner."

Director Wayne Wang has come onboard by being deeply moved by the story. "It's about a very intense relationship between two women in a male-dominated society. It is a very rare story."

Trying to understand nv shu, Wang said he did serious research on the secret language, consulting with as many experts as he could find.

Talking about casting South Korean actress Gianna Jun, Wang said cultural difference is not a problem, "Gianna read the story and loved it. She recommended herself to us. I saw her audition and her feeling was right and natural."

Gianna Jun and her Chinese co-star, Li Bingbing, speak little of each other's language, but they have worked out a way to find chemistry. "The language barrier actually became a good thing," said Li, "Without speaking too much, we communicated with our hearts. We tried to read from each other's eyes."

Will the actresses' unspoken chemistry turn into persuasive performance? Will the film's multi-national lineup help make the Oriental story easier to understand by the West? The answer will be clear upon the film's release - in China on June 24, and in North America on July 15.

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