In Ho-yuen's video, a couple is fighting over a baby doll.My parents got divorced when I was young. My younger brother and I were brought up by our grandparents, uncle and aunt, and we lived with our two cousins. The whole family got together for dinner every night. Everything seemed to be normal, but actually my brother and I were embarrassed.
I didn’t do well in primary school, and this left my family members – who were all well-educated – very unhappy. They took me to different doctors to see if I had a learning disability. This completely shattered my peaceful life and made me think. What is a family? What is an ideal family relationship? Is doing poorly in school my fault? I started to hate my family.
When I was in Secondary Three, I wanted to change schools because my favourite subject, visual arts, was not taught at my school. This sparked a dispute with my parents, but they finally agreed that I should switch schools. The row hurt my feelings.
Over the past few years, I have been questioning the value of my existence. People always say: “There are no parents who don’t love their child.” But who knows if the love is unconditional?
My one-minute video, Abandoned Baby, is based on the theme, “To Mum and Dad”. When I created this video, I thought about my relationship with my parents. Why did my parents bring me up? Once my parents divorced, who did I become? Is fighting for custody more important than a child’s feelings? All these reflections made me better understand my parents.
My mother watched the video and she was proud that I had used it to share my story with others. I was surprised and touched that she recognised my work.
After watching the video, I hope the audience will reflect on their relationship with their families.
UNICEF HK Make A Video gives young people a chance to express themselves through video. The project is co-organized by ifva, Hong Kong Arts Centre, with support from Hang Seng Bank and Young Post. Check out the videos here . Email your feedback to [email protected]