WENLING'S

Intertwining journalistic precision with the casual tone of joyful conversation, WENLING'S brings together friendship, gender and migration. A female space par excellence, Wenling's nail salon becomes the crossroad for a myriad of women's stories. From the unique perspective of a female documentary producer, we learn about the history of nail salons in the US and Europe, migration waves from the East to the West and gender relationships across cultures.Originally from China, Wenling arrived in Barcelona looking for a better life. She was six months pregnant at the time. With no knowledge of the local languages, she managed to open a salon. Our unnamed narrator is one of Wenling's frequent customers. As time passes by, a friendship grows between the two women. Through their conversations, Wenling's story unfolds at the salon, where we also discover the many similarities amongst women of different generations and cultures. Gemma Ruiz Pala immerses the reader in a story of gender and migration through an uncompromising, lighthearted narrative.