What does it take to save a marriage when one partner strays? In the Western world, the answer often involves a therapist’s office, a lawyer’s desk, or perhaps a dramatic confrontation on a television show. But in Elizabeth Lo’s new documentary, Mistress Dispeller, the solution is far more subtle and, frankly, a lot stranger.
The film introduces us to a world where a professional “mistress dispeller” is hired to discreetly end an affair and restore a family. The documentary centers on a case involving a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Li, and the young woman, Fei Fei, who Mr. Li is seeing on the side. The way Lo presents this complicated situation is what makes the film so intriguing.
Lo, who grew up in Hong Kong, wanted to explore the kind of love that is “bound up with sacrifice, duty and what’s left unsaid”. The documentary is designed to be a quiet, thoughtful observation of a modern family in crisis, but it’s also a commentary on a country in flux. This isn’t just about personal betrayal; it’s about the seismic shifts in Chinese society that come with a rapidly expanding economy and rising divorce rates. The film asks what it means to love and what a person is willing to give up for the sake of a relationship.
The Art of Discretion
The “mistress dispeller,” Teacher Wang, enters the lives of the couple and the mistress under false pretenses, working almost like a spy. The film’s approach is to simply watch her work. We see her engage in long, drawn-out conversations, sitting at tables and letting the moments unfold without interruption. There are no quick cuts or sensationalized scenes. It’s a patient filmmaking style that lets you lean in and listen, to see the subtle movements and changes in a person’s face as they speak. The film’s pace reflects the delicate nature of the work itself.
This kind of intimate access is rare for a documentary, and it raises a lot of questions about how it was filmed. The filmmakers intentionally avoided intervening, acting as a fly-on-the-wall. According to the press notes, the husband and mistress didn’t even know the true nature of the film at the beginning; they believed they were participating in a documentary about modern love in China.
Lo makes it clear that everyone involved consented to being in the film at the end, and she would have respected their decision if they wanted to withdraw. Ultimately, the film’s subjects chose to let their story be told, with the hope that it could help others.
Mistress Dispeller is a look at a universal problem through a very specific cultural lens. By focusing on the quiet, human moments, the film moves beyond the surface-level scandal to reveal the complex emotional lives of its characters. It’s an unforgettable portrait of loneliness, longing, and the lengths people go to for connection.
Mistress Dispeller is opening exclusively at Bertha Dochouse in the UK. You can catch the opening night screening on Friday, August 22, which includes a Q&A with director Elizabeth Lo.
Additional screenings are scheduled for
Saturday, August 23 at 8:10 PM
Sunday, August 24 at 4:00 PM
Monday, August 25 at 6:10 PM
Tuesday, August 26 at 4:00 PM
Wednesday, August 27 at 6:20 PM
Thursday, August 28 at 8:40 PM
