Children of Invention is a heart-breaking glimpse into the life of two Chinese-American children, Raymond and Tina, whose single mother Elaine is struggling to make ends meet. When the family loses their house, they take up residence in a model apartment- and when their mother disappears, Raymond and Tina are left to fend for themselves.

Beautifully filmed, perfectly cast and with a gorgeous soundtrack, it’s no surprise that Children of Invention was a Sundance favorite. The powerful, spot-on performances by the child actors Michael Chen and Crystal Chiu were the backbone of the film, but writer and director Tze Chun also gets credit from me for writing such an eloquent and timely story illustrating real problems faced by some immigrant families in American society. Instead of making the viewers feel a world apart, Chun draws them in with this film filled with graceful messages that any family can appreciate.

Children of Invention is will be screened as SDAFF’s opening film today at 7 p.m. For additional information and ticketing info, please go here.