Winner—Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award

When an elderly Chinese couple are notified by the Canadian government about their son Shi-Ming’s sudden death and burial on Canadian soil, they embark on a decade-long investigation to uncover the truth behind his tumultuous life as a young immigrant in Canada. Skilfully employing a docu-thriller style and staying steadfastly committed to the story, director Ying Wang follows the grieving parents for ten years as they navigate a new culture and a complex web of bureaucracy in search of answers. While tracing Shi-Ming’s footsteps through re-enactments and interviews with those closest to him, Wang explores the intricate connection between parental expectations, migration and mental health. A powerful testament to parental devotion, The World is Bright takes a look at mental health within immigrant communities through the sensitive portrayal of two parents channeling their grief into hope. Mariam Zaidi

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