Mistress Dispeller

This Venice award-winning and startling doc introduces us to Teacher Wang, a Chinese “mistress dispeller” – that is, a professional for-hire whose job it is to end marital affairs.

In China, a unique industry has emerged in the past decade: mistress dispellers are specialists in breaking up marital affairs – and their services come with a hefty price tag. When Teacher Wang, one such professional, is enlisted by a heartbroken wife, she proceeds to work her way into the lives of the husband and his lover, as well as the client herself. All three become entangled through her intricate and at times extreme methods. Director Elizabeth Lo, known for her beloved 2020 doc Stray, gains intimate access to her subjects, capturing deeply private moments and conversations rarely seen on screen.

The result is a captivating and thought-provoking portrait of the limits of modern-day marriage.Garnering accolades at Venice, Chicago and beyond, Mistress Dispeller is an absorbing, eye-opening film about tradition, the trials of intimacy and the challenges of putting one’s happiness in the hands of others.

.Mandarin language, English subtitles.