The Year of the Ghost

Director Louis HotHotHot’s debut, Four Journeys, which opened IDFA in 2021, explored the painful consequences of China’s one-child policy. In this new film he again fearlessly turns his camera on his own family. It is prompted by a tragedy: the death of his father. Due to COVID restrictions, the filmmaker cannot make it to China in time to say goodbye. Once reunited with his mother and sister, Louis HotHotHot films them as they struggle to find a new way to live. His mother wants to remain in his father’s hometown to care for his spirit, but then who will care for her? HotHotHot’s sister, meanwhile, is struggling with her position as a single woman in the big city.

Using archival footage, animation, and unflinchingly candid conversations, Louis HotHotHot explores how modern Chinese history and misogyny affect the lives of women. This intimate family portrait unfolds into a compelling story about the status of women and changing family culture in China.