Being poor is okay. Being in debt is manageable. Being in debt and not being able to repay, ever? That’s like a curse.
Xi Cheng and his mom live in poverty, because of personal decisions made by his mum and dad.
This is unearthed after a death in his village, revealing secret pacts, secret relationships and chain of debt caused by his mum and late dad.
Even though his mum hides her resentment, Chang feels obliged to repay his family’s debt.
In an even more convoluted turn of events, his girlfriend and her family become even more involved in this chain of debt.
His situation is dire: money always comes with strings attached.
Money can mean so much, and so little, depending on what and how much you have.
For some families, these passive aggressive conversations about money, debt and finance is far too familiar.
For Xi Cheng, for his family, and for love, he will be indebted for life.
Watch ‘Debts’ by Shooca Zhang (Hong Kong) on Viddsee: