Ghosted

The sudden death in unexplained circumstances of her young Taiwanese lover, Ai-ling, throws Hamburg artist Sophie Schmitt totally off balance. She travels to Taipei to exhibit a video installation dedicated to Ai-ling. Sophie is approached by a pushy journalist, Mei-li, who takes her on a trip to the famous Taipei night markets and tries to seduce the grieving artist. But Sophie rejects her and returns to Hamburg. Shortly thereafter, Mei-li turns up on Sophie′s doorstep unannounced. Sophie takes her in and falls for her charm. Soon, Sophie realises that Mei-li is secretly investigating Ai-ling′s death. A series of strange happenings follows thick and fast. Then Sophie discovers that Mei-Li neither works for a Taiwanese newspaper, nor has she officially entered Germany. Who, then, is this beautiful and mysterious stranger …?

"Ghosted" is a film about cultural misunderstandings and different perceptions of death. Monika Treut: "In Chinese and Taiwanese cinema, the ghosts of the dead come back; they are beings who exists according to their own laws. In particular, the ghosts of women who have led oppressed lives are given a great deal of freedom: at last they are able to follow their own desires and be as erotic, daring, determined and charming as they want. But you don′t have to know about Chinese traditions in order to immerse yourself in this story, because the concept of the doppelganger has long been a central motif in European culture dating back to Novalis and Edgar Allan Poe."

Source: 59. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)