The World is Bright follows the real-life journey of an elderly Chinese couple searching for the truth behind their son Shi-Ming’s sudden death in Canada. Shi-Ming was buried before his parents living in Beijing were notified. Over ten years, director Ying Wang documents Shi-Ming’s parents as they enter a long and arduous legal battle to understand how their son – a young Canadian immigrant – could have died. Shi-Ming’s parents are resilient in their search for truth despite language barriers and overly bureaucratic and complex processes they have to endure. The film uses re-enactments and interviews with Shi-Ming’s friends and family to thoroughly examine the intersection of immigration, family expectations and mental health. While attentively portraying the emotional and physical pains Shi-Ming’s parents go through to try and solve this case, The World is Bright exposes some ugly truths about the Canadian immigration system and its treatment of newcomers living with mental health issues.

Join us for a virtual panel with The World is Bright director Ying Wang, Shi-Ming’s family lawyer Lawrence Wong, Dr. Kenneth Fung, Clinical Director of Asian Initiative in Mental Health Program at TWH, and Bonnie Wong, Executive Director of Hong Fook Mental Health Association. The speakers will discuss mental health within immigrant communities in Canada and delve into different ways Canadian immigration law fails to accommodate and support newcomers with mental health experiences.