Zhijie Cao (born April 4, 1997) grew up in Xi'An, China. After pursing a BA in Journalism from Central South University in Changsha she developed a passion for story-telling. She attended The London Film School, directing three short films, including independent short 'Bird and Whale' (2021), while exploring and refining her cinematic style. As a filmmaker Zhijie's films centre on realism, female voices and burgeoning sexuality.