Though it tackles such heavy issues as the mortgage crisis and the exploitation of immigrants, Tze Chun's debut feature maintains a playful optimism. This lightness of spirit comes courtesy of the film's young protagonists, who endure adversity with the adaptability and resilience that only children can muster.

Times are tough for Raymond (Michael Chen) and Tina Cheng (Crystal Chiu). Their father has returned to Hong Kong, and their mother Elaine (Cindy Cheung) can no longer afford the mortgage payments for their suburban Boston home. Forced out of their house, the Chengs move into a model home, where they can live rent-free as long as they remain undetected. The children spend their days quietly holed up in the house, waiting for their overworked mother to return with dinner. When Elaine gets unwittingly caught up in a pyramid scheme targeting downtrodden immigrants, the kids are forced to take matters into their own hands.

Chen and Chiu are naturally charismatic actors who handle their star turns beautifully; they give life to a great sibling relationship, full of love and bickering. An expansion of writer/director Chun's acclaimed short WINDOWBREAKER (SFIAAFF '07), CHILDREN OF INVENTION unfolds in a naturalistic, unobtrusive style that keeps the actors front and center. Chun uses the story for political critique but never abandons his naturally comedic sensibility. The film shows the overwhelming economic difficulties facing many Americans today—immigrants and otherwise—but finds great hope in the guise of two remarkable children.

In person: Tze Chun