Wood Has No Echo

Shen Chuan, a craftsman who restores old wooden stools, returns to the mountain woodshop after many years. His master, Gu Lan, hands him a damaged heirloom horseshoe-back chair. The two work through the night, dismantling and repairing the mortise-and-tenon joints. As Shen Chuan sands the wood, he and his master resolve a knot of resentment that has lasted for years. He comes to understand that restoring wooden objects is about soothing wounds, that he can read the silent thoughts of the wood, and that he has found his long-lost true self.