Twaalf momenten: Twelve moments = Shi er ge shi ke

Abstract

Louis Hothothot was born during China's One-Child Policy as the second child in his family. His parents already had a daughter, but his mother was determined to have a son. This decision came at a high cost: his father sacrificed his political career and paid a fine equal three years of his salaries, his older sister has struggled with competition of their relationship even nowadays, and Louis grew up as an illegal child. Louis eventually left his family and moved to the Netherlands in order to be a new kid who has new life in a new land. He studied at the Netherlands Film Academy in Amsterdam between 2015 and 2017. The book “Twelve Moments” forms the foundation of his film “Four Journeys”. It is a documentary “photographic novel” that, through text and imagery, unveils this painful history and the impact it has had on the lives of all involved. Louis Hothothot sees graphic design as his mother tongue of his creativity because he studied in his BA. in the book “Twelve Moments”, he uses graphic design as a language to shape his thoughts, poetically and subtly. The book is also presented in three languages - Chinese, English, and Dutch - reflecting the multiple facets of Louis' identity: the language of his birthplace, the language he primarily communicates in, and the language of the country where he resides.