Focus on the current situation of marriage and family in China in the movie “In the Name of Love”.

Hong Kong’s young director, Elizabeth Lo, spent three years creating the film “Mistress Dispeller” in documentary form, focusing on a mainland “mistress dispeller” who navigates between the couples and third parties involved in extramarital affairs and successfully saves marriages.

Over the past 10 years, an odd profession has emerged in mainland China called “mistress dispeller,” whose role is to handle extramarital affairs, similar to a marriage counselor, specifically helping clients discourage or drive away third parties. “Mistress Dispeller” humorously spotlights this profession, with all the individuals in the film being real-life characters.

In a recent interview with the New Dawn Daily, Elizabeth Lo shared, “I’ve always loved love stories since I was young. Growing up in Hong Kong, I would always go to the video rental shop and pick love movies first. Films like ‘Notting Hill’ and ‘Lost in Translation’ influenced my understanding of love with their idealized romances. However, this portrayal is starkly different from the love I experienced in my own family, often accompanied by sacrifice and responsibility. As a director, I aim to showcase this kind of love through the lens, using marital crises as a starting point.”

The characters in the film being the actual parties involved pique the audience’s curiosity about the filming process. Lo noted that she and the producers knew from the beginning that there would be significant challenges, with several individuals dropping out during the filming over the years, and they had to respect their decisions.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs of the Communist Party of China has released data showing a renewed increase in divorce rates, divorce-to-marriage ratios, and divorce rates since 2023. Data from as early as 2016 revealed that in 2015, the number of divorces in China exceeded 7.6 million, with extramarital affairs accounting for a high percentage of divorces at 50.16%.

At the 81st Venice Film Festival, “Mistress Dispeller” won the “Under 40 Author Award” and the “Asian Film Critics Alliance Award,” while the film also received the “Best Documentary Golden Hugo Award” at the Chicago International Film Festival.