Oscilloscope Buys Marriage Documentary ‘Mistress Dispeller’

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired North American rights to Elizabeth Lo‘s “Mistress Dispeller,” a new documentary that had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Produced by Anonymous Content and Impact Partners, the film follows a woman in China who is desperate to save her marriage. She hires a professional to go undercover and break up her husband’s affair. Lo had intimate access to all the players in this family drama, enabling her to explore it from all sides of a love triangle.

“Mistress Dispeller” picked up two awards in Venice, before screening at festivals including Toronto, Camden, Chicago, DOC NYC, and Camerimage, where it won the Golden Frog Grand Prix for Best Documentary Feature. It received more than a dozen festival awards, as well as multiple nominations at the Cinema Eye Honors 2024. It will play next at CPH:DOX 2025. Oscilloscope Laboratories will release the film in select theaters later this year.

It’s the sophomore feature for Lo, who previously directed 2021’s “Stray,” a look at the lives of street dogs in Istanbul. Critics loved her latest film, with Variety raving, “‘Mistress Dispeller’ culminates in a beautiful final act, as everyone — the audience included — walks away with something rewarding and reflective.”

The film’s producing team of “Mistress Dispeller” includes Lo, Emma D. Miller and Maggie Li. The film is a production of After Argos Films and Marcona Media. Anonymous Content and Impact Partners is presenting the film in association with CMP and The Concordia Studio Fellowship. Charlotte Munch Bengtsen edited the picture.

Executive producers include Jenny Raskin, Kelsey Koenig, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Nick Shumaker, Jessica Grimshaw, David Levine, Dawn Olmstead, Rahdi Taylor, Davis Guggenheim, Steve Cohen, and Paula Froehle. Lauren Haber and Marni E. J. Grossman served as co-executive producers.

“We’re thrilled to release ‘Mistress Dispeller’ with Oscilloscope, whose passion and enduring commitment to distributing independent films in cinemas is what every filmmaker dreams of and what our industry needs,” Lo said. “We’re so proud to partner with them to bring this film about love and family to audiences across the U.S.”

“We have been admirers of Elizabeth’s work for a long time,” Aaron Katz, vice president of acquisitions at Oscilloscope Laboratories said. “She creates intimate, vivid, and touching documentaries, which Mistress Dispeller lives up to fully. What she was able to capture in this film is an honest look at modern love without judgement, full of the joy, complication, humor, and heartache that is inherent in any relationship. We know this documentary will surprise viewers, spark conversation, and leave a lasting impression on audiences.”

Katz represented Oscilloscope during negotiations for the rights to the film, while Anonymous Content represented the filmmakers through the company’s sales and finance arm AC Independent.

Lo is represented by Gersh and Anonymous Content.