There is an immense range of reasons why people want to live a new life. Before long, some regret their decision.

It was said that people emigrate for 3 reasons: “push factors”, “pull factors” and “bandwagon factors”.

Push factors are like war, political hardship or following parents’ arrangement. “Pull” factors include looking for a better job, education for children or an attractive quality of life.

The “bandwagon effect” (群眾心理) is a psychological phenomenon where people do certain things just because many others or friends are doing the same. They assume popularity equates to correctness. It can be a mindset manifesting as “loss aversion” where the fear of losing the opportunity to emigrate becomes more intense than the pleasure of staying in one’s familiar home place.

The movie in theatres now is Finch & Midland (今天應該很高興) directed by a Canadian-Chinese director Timothy Yeung (楊永光). He began his career at a Toronto Chinese television station as a director and producer.

Yeung’s debut feature Finch & Midland tells the untold stories of Hong Kong immigrants in Toronto－people who have worked hard, stayed unseen, and built lives with dignity despite harsh times. He said, “I am drawn to everyday moments and real stories. I aim to tell honest human stories that reveal truth in small, often overlooked details. I strive to represent communities authentically so that when the community watches the film, they feel they are truly seen. Finch & Midland is a major interaction in Scarborough, known as a key hub for the Chinese-Canadian community. The area is considered by some as scratty and untidy.

In the neighbourhoods of Scarborough, 4 Hong Kong immigrants who arrived in the 1990s are going through their midlife crisis.

Once a rising star in Hong Kong, a singer (played by Patrick Tam譚耀文) tries very hard after his divorce to make a living by performing in the cheap local Chinese restaurants.

A tour guide (played by Harriet Yeung 楊詩敏) has to take care of a grumbling old mother who has been abandoned by her brother. At the same time, she, in her 50s, is unable to find a boyfriend and so subject to all kinds of love scams.

A single mother (played by Theresa Lee李綺虹) is struggling to lift herself and her young daughter out of poverty by offering part-time erotic massage to men. She also cracks books in order to pass the estate agent qualifying examination.

A widower (played by Anthony Wong黃秋生) yearns for respect and recognition in his career as a factory supervisor. He is betrayed by his senior and finally laid off by the company.

The grim life of the diaspora community of the Hongkongers in Canada often touches on their painful struggles, feelings of emptiness and the unfairness of reality. Their sad situations intertwine in Scarborough. I watched the movie with a group of friends. Some said, “The people in the story should not have moved abroad to Canada in the first place.” Some said, “Failure to genuinely learn to adapt to the new environment is the critical failure of the characters.”

Experts point out that despair after immigration usually stems from losing established social networks, facing language barriers and navigating racial differences. I am old and too familiar with Hong Kong. I see no reason why I should handle the pressure to assimilate and the need to rebuild support systems from scratch in a new country.

The movie Finch & Midland consolidates the life experiences of the ordinary immigrants in Canada. It provides stimulating thoughts for those in Hong Kong who may plan to reside overseas. Some critics are of the opinion that the film is boring. I disagree. I do like the heart-warming empathy of the director Timothy Yeung towards the Chinese wrestling arduously in Canada. The movie is extremely touching and deserves our praise.

Emigration can be either right or wrong, but not having enough money to live overseas is definitely in the grey and between the two.

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