Shame On You!

Jeffrey Himpele

2023 / 11 minutes
United States / United States
English

This film sheds light on the untold personal costs borne by victims of the debt collection industry, an industry fueled by fear of the judicial system and hidden shame about debt. This animated documentary is drawn directly from our heart-to-heart conversations with people trapped in debt collection lawsuits. The low-value/high-volume debt collection business is vast—1 in 4 people have been pursued by a debt collector, and 1 in 3 are people of color. Millions have had their wages garnished or money seized from their bank accounts. Yet, in over 90% of cases summoned to court, debtors either fail to appear to contest their cases or appear without legal representation, leading many cases to end in default judgments against them. By depicting our interlocutors’ experiences, we reveal how shame and fear of the judicial system enable the debt collection industry to thrive. Shame On You! initiates a public conversation about an industry that preys on people’s hidden vulnerabilities, using shame and fear as weapons. The film redirects that shame onto the industry itself, which traps individuals in debt lawsuits in the first place. For more details and data, visit debtcollectionlab.org.