Children of Invention

Feature Films

In a harsh, unforgiving economy, immigrant Elaine and her children find themselves torn apart, and her children are forced to fend for themselves.

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Children of Invention (N/A)

Starring Cindy Cheung and Michael Chen

Children of Invention starring Cindy Cheung and Michael Chen

Writer/Director Tze Chun's debut feature film, Children of Invention has taken the indie festival circuit by storm, premiering at Sundance in 2009 and winning Grand Jury Prizes for Best Narrative Feature at SDAFF, Newport International Film Festival and the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festivals, amongst its awards. Chun takes audiences into the struggles of an illegal immigrant mother entwined in illegal activities to survive, and the repercussions it has on her children.

Elaine (Cindy Cheung) is a single mother. To support her children, the precocious Raymond (Michael Chen) and his sister Tina (Crystal Chiu), Elaine skitters from one sales job to another to make ends meet in an unforgiving economy. When her family is finally evicted from their suburban Boston home and forced to seek refuge in an unfinished apartment building, Elaine's desperation leads her to become involved in a Ponzi scheme victimizing other immigrants. The scheme not only falls apart, but ends in the worst possible outcome: her being separated from her children. Left alone, Raymond and Tina are forced to fend for themselves, showing uncanny resilience against the odds in their battle for survival.

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