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The Year of the Ghost

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Theatre de Lieve Vrouw
Lieve Vrouwestraat 13
3811 BP Amersfoort
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In 2022, the health of documentary filmmaker Louis Hothothot’s father rapidly deteriorates. He decides to return to China in the hope that…

In 2022, the health of documentary filmmaker Louis Hothothot’s father rapidly deteriorates. He decides to return to China in the hope of seeing him one last time. Upon arrival, he is required to quarantine. Confined to a hotel room, he misses both his father’s death and his funeral. Now that the head of the family has passed away, his mother and sister must rebuild their lives. His mother leaves her apartment in Beijing and moves to the village of where , where his father is buried. His mother believes that my father’s gentle spirit still lingers there and needs care. That’s why she prefers to stay close to his grave rather than return to Beijing. Meanwhile, his older sister in Beijing struggles with loneliness. Working from home, she acts as a matchmaker for a dating platform. She helps strangers find love, while she herself feels increasingly abandoned. At forty, she finds herself caught between the promises of modern China and the expectations imposed on unmarried women.

Meanwhile, back in the Netherlands, Louis finds himself faced with impossible questions. Who will take care of his mother and sister now? Should he give up his independent life in Europe and return home to take care of the family he left behind? Using archival footage, animation, and uncompromisingly candid conversations, Louis’s *HotHotHot* explores how modern Chinese history and misogyny influence women’s lives.

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