The Gua Sha Treatment

The traditional Chinese gua sha massage is a painless and relieving treatment which leaves large bruises on the patients back. Gua sha is performed by physicians but also as a form of folk treatment among family members. The courtroom melodrama set in St. Louis, USA is based on numerous real cases when gua sha bruises were interpreted by US authorities as signs of domestic physical abuse. In resonance with its message of intercultural understanding, this Chinese film encompasses genre elements from traditional US Christmas stories.