To live, one must prove their poverty, but to survive, one must hide it. Ji-eun (16) continues her school life while hiding the fact that she's a basic welfare recipient. As she lives each day concealing herself, her last middle school field trip approaches. She could go on the field trip for free if she applies for basic welfare recipient assistance, but she can't bring herself to apply. She's afraid her friends might find out. That's when Ji-eun sees her mother Mi-hyun at her workplace, stealing money because of her. The film looks back at our childhoods which weren't always beautiful.

In a society that judges people's integrity and diligence by capital, poverty makes people miserable. The word 'poverty' carries many burdens. Behind the 'sympathetic' gaze that views poverty as pitiful and sad, there's also the consciousness that considers poverty 'inferior'. It's strange that while one must prove their poverty to the state to live, they must simultaneously thoroughly hide it to survive. We each live through a cruel world. Reflecting on my childhood which wasn't always beautiful, I wanted to point out these contradictions.

2024 제15회 부산평화영화제