Review of "Ghosted"

Warning: minor spoilers

Out German director Monika Treut (Female Misbehaviour, Gendernauts) set out to make a film about lesbians whose sexuality is a non-issue. Consequently, the focus in Ghosted isn't on the relationships between the central characters, but the unfolding mystery about one of their deaths.

Ghosted starts by focusing on Ai-Ling (Huan-Ru Ke), a Taiwanese woman interested in finding out more about her dead father. The only one who could tell her anything would be his brother, Ai-Ling's uncle, who lives in Hamburg, Germany, where he owns a restaurant.

Ai-Ling's mother is not happy about her going to dig up family history, but gives her daughter permission to go.

Ai-Ling (Huan-Ru Ke)

Once in Germany, Ai-Ling meets Sophie (Inga Busch), an artist she falls for after sitting next to her at a movie.

They soon move in together (in true lesbian fashion) and Ai-Ling is able to concentrate on finding out what she came to Germany for — determining if her uncle is really her biological father.

Unfortunately, this part of the film is played out a little too much, and takes away from time that would be better spent developing the relationships between the women.

Early in the film, we find out through flashbacks that Ai-Ling died mysteriously and that Sophie is saddened yet inspired by her death, making a video project dedicated to her deceased girlfriend, and debuting in Taiwan.

At the opening for the project, she meets Mei-Li (Ting Ting Hu), an overeager Taiwanese journalist who wants to interview Sophie about her work.

Mei-Li (Ting-Ting Hu) and Sophie (Inga Busch)

Sophie isn't interested in press, but when Mei-Li shows up outside her home in Hamburg, they end up spending time together, and then sleeping together — until Sophie discovers Mei-Li is hiding something.