Post-screening discussion for What Should We Have Done? was held on 23 October at Broadway Cinematheque. HKAFF was honoured to welcome Hong Kong independent journalist and writer Vivian Tam to share insights after the screening.
What Should We Have Done? chronicles the director's parents' decision to confine their daughter, suffering from schizophrenia, within their home for years while refusing treatment. Despite their careers in medical research, they could not accept their daughter's illness. As a director, her brother Tomohiro Fujino began documenting the family's daily life through his camera. Vivian noted that despite cultural differences between Japan and Confucian communities, the two families' experiences were strikingly similar. Her own elder brother developed schizophrenia during university. After immigrating to Canada with their parents, he spent three decades confined to their large residence, rarely venturing out or seeking medical help. Later, her father suffered a stroke and her mother developed dementia. Even Vivian's recently published book in which she publicly shares her experiences, and the director's own filming of a documentary to reveal their journey, were remarkably similar.
Vivian expressed deep resonance with What Should We Have Done? as a family member of someone with mental illness. With tears welling, she shared that in both families, she or the director appeared superficially the most “normal”, the most intact, the one without illness. Yet in reality, it is the “normal” daughter or son who bears the deepest wounds and shoulders the heaviest burden.
Vivian highlighted the profoundly moving sibling love between the director and his sister as the most touching aspect of What Should We Have Done?. She noted that writing can be completed in one go, but filming individuals with mental illness is immensely challenging. When an episode occurs, should one start rolling the camera or attend to the person first? Capturing footage of a patient's episode is difficult for viewers to watch; the director, simultaneously acting as both documentarian and family member, undoubtedly carried significant psychological burden during filming. Spanning decades, the documentary chronicles the sister's journey from youth to old age, capturing her fluctuating mental states. The closing scenes feature numerous travel vignettes of the director with his sister, vividly demonstrating the brother's devotion.
Vivian shared that after viewing the documentary, she contacted director Fujino Tomohiro. Director Fujino told her that he had heard of her book. He noted that whether writing a book or making a documentary, making family circumstances public is a difficult decision. However, without doing so, similar incidents in society cannot be prevented. Vivian acknowledged that transforming private family matters into public texts risks ethical controversy. She stressed the director's sensitive handling of obtaining participants' consent in the closing credits. As a family member, she views sharing her experiences not only as sparking meaningful public discourse but also as a process of personal redemption.
During the post-screening discussion, audience members shared their own or loved ones' experiences with mental illness. Whether through film or writing, the focus remains on humanity itself. Should the film spark greater discourse and compassion for others, it would be most welcome.
