Independent Film Festival Boston 2009

Director Tze Chun in attendance.

Just work hard, and you’ll get ahead—that’s the American Dream. But what happens when the bank forecloses on your house, your ex won’t send the child support on time, and you’re an immigrant with limited connections? When Elaine Cheng, a hardworking mother, finds that her part-time real estate job simply isn’t paying the bills, she can’t resist the lure of quick money from pyramid schemes. As Elaine rushes from work appointments to sales meetings, ten-year-old Raymond and eight-year-old Tina become accustomed to making their own dinners and entertaining themselves by building fantastical inventions. But when one pyramid scheme takes a frightening turn, Raymond and Tina must navigate an adult world beyond their wildest imagination.

In this enthralling drama, writer/director Tze Chun—who was named one of Filmmaker magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film”—shows us a view of Boston rarely seen on film. As the family takes Route 93 from Quincy, rides the red line, and roams the streets of Downtown Crossing, locals will recognize familiar sights––but Chun’s story sparkles with fresh insight. He elicits remarkable performances from the two child actors, whose characters respond to adversity with both the ingenuity of innocence and the heartbreaking resolve of experience. Gripping and always utterly natural, CHILDREN OF INVENTION deftly explores both the big dreams and the material realities of real economic hardship.

- Kristina Aikens