There’s a very good chance that you or someone you know is in debt. However, talking about one’s own struggle with debt is largely treated as a taboo subject in American culture. Shame on You, an animated short documentary about predatory debt collection, seeks to shed more light on this phenomenon. Made in conjunction with the Debt Collection Lab, the film is produced, directed, and edited by Jeffrey Himpele. Towards the beginning of the film, it is stated: “More than 70 million adults in America have had a debt turned over to a private debt collector. That’s one in four adults.” This is an issue with far-reaching consequences that effects not only individuals, but entire families as well.

Shame on You focuses on the stories of three people who have each had debt negatively impact their lives in different ways. None of these narratives conform to the common stereotypes about debt. Through a respectful and sympathetic lens, Shame on You reveals that there are a multitude of ways in which debt can come to completely overwhelm the life of a person and their loved ones. The film presents a few bits of data in the beginning but invites the audience to go deeper than the statistics, to get to know those who have been affected by predatory lending practices on a more personal level.

Based on interviews by investigative journalist Ann Neumann, the narrative is conveyed through conversations between two people, featuring voice acting by Vivia Font, Dana Green, and Melody Butiu. Visually, the accounts are presented through hand drawn imagery, enhancing the more emotionally charged moments with illustrations in a way that live action is unable to. For instance, moving through story beats by having images flow into one another in a way that is almost reminiscent of a collage. The film presents the stories of a wife struggling to support her family after the sudden death of her husband, a pregnant woman figuring out what to do about a debt that she didn’t know that she had, and a member of a household who faces disability, surprise illness, and medical bills. In one of these stories, all that was needed to pin a debt on someone was a name and social security number.

Without mincing words, the accounts detailed in Shame on You are upsetting. This a film that not only serves to inform the public but has the potential to spark outrage as well. Some of the most vulnerable people have the most to lose in this predatory system. For example, individuals from low-income backgrounds often can’t afford to miss work. Going into court to contest a debt can cost a lot of money, not just in the event of having to miss work, but in transportation costs or childcare costs.

It's mentioned that being in debt tends to be something no one likes to openly talk about or admit to, and that’s a problem. In many ways, not talking about it allows for the underhanded practices of predatory lending to continue. There is a moment in the film in which one of the interviewees mentions that she didn’t talk to anyone about her situation until it was resolved. Shame on You attempts to dispel the shame and judgement that surrounds the subject of debt. Awareness lays the foundation for change.

Shame on You seeks to change minds and encourage people to look at debt from a new perspective. It’s a compelling and thought-provoking short film that calls attention to an important issue through reporting the lived experiences of real-life people. This is something that can ruin someone’s life. It’s also something that has the potential to happen to anyone.

Shame on You will be screened with The Affolter Brothers’s Altona on Saturday, June 1, 2024 – Online for 24 Hours on this day and In-Person at 5:00PM in Milledoler Hall #100/Rutgers University, 520 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ. Director Jeffrey Himpele, as well as lead actors Vivia Font and Ann Neumann will do a Q+A with the audience after the in-person the screening. Buy tickets here.

The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center, in association with the Rutgers University Program in Cinema Studies, presents the 2024 New Jersey International Film Festival which marks its 29th Anniversary. The NJIFF competition will be taking place on the Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between May 31 - June 9, 2024 and will be a hybrid one with online as well as in-person screenings at Rutgers University. All the films will be available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. VOD start times are at 12 Midnight Eastern USA. Each General Admission Ticket or Festival Pass purchased is good for both the virtual and the in-person screenings. The in-person screenings will be held in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ beginning at 5PM or 7PM on their show date.  Note: The Screenings on June 1 will be in Milledoler Hall #100/ Rutgers University, 520 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ. 

Plus, The NJIFF is very proud to announce that acclaimed singer-songwriter Marissa Nadler will be in concert on Saturday, June 15 in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ at 7PM.  General Admission Ticket=$15 Per Program; Festival All Access Pass=$120; In-Person Only Student Ticket=$10 Per Program.; General Admission Marissa Nadler Concert Ticket=$25.

For more info go here: https://2024newjerseyinternationalfilmfestival.eventive.org/welcome