‘Four Journeys’ Review: Chinese Siblings Consider the Long Shadow of the One-Child Policy in a Highly Personal Doc
Guy Lodge Film CriticMany’s the child who, when faced with what they feel is undue criticism or complaint from their parents, has reacted with a standard adolescent whine: “I didn’t ask to be born!” It’s a sentiment that resonates a little differently, however, through “Four Journeys,” in which Dutch-based Chinese multimedia artist Louis Hothothot quite sincerely invites his parents to discuss why they had him, and they explain with some candor their regrets about doing so. The ensuing documentary is a feat of family-therapy-as-art that veers in tone from confrontational to affectionate, but remains engagingly audience-friendly even at its most intimate.