Tze Chun

Still from Children of Invention

Tze Chun’s dream is to get coffee for Woody Allen, an aspiration that sounds pretty mild until you hear the punchline:

“I’d love to direct a shot-for-shot remake of The Bucket List with Woody Allen and Werner Herzog, but I think the rights are tied up.” Brooklyn based Chun, a 28-year old filmmaker, is joking, but his hypothetical does betray a rabid creativity and disdain for boundaries.

Photo by Li-Han Lin

Unsurprisingly, his semi-autobiographical Children of Invention follows an unlikely heroine in an even more unlikely plot: a Chinese immigrant (played by Cindy Cheung) and her children engage in a pyramid scheme while squatting in the Boston suburbs.  Unique in its approach to the American Dream, the film extends the Asian American cinematic milieu by tackling subjects like capitalism and coming-of-age from the nuanced perspectives of its buoyant trio. Chun avoids sprinkling the film with insider jokes to express pride in his heritage; he also resists victimizing his characters to protest racism. Consequently, the film becomes a personal story that neither ignores nor embraces stereotypes.

I Did This Just to Get to You, 2003

Notwithstanding a writing stint on Cashmere Mafia, Chun gravitates towards socio-political projects. He has previously written about the 1968 protests at Columbia University (where he majored in film studies) and provided artwork for Half Nelson (he moonlights as a portraitist). For artistic influences, Chun cites the indie Maria Full of Grace and Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander, films that are insular yet political. Fittingly, Impact Partners, known for award-winning documentaries, sought Chun for their first narrative film after he had signed with the William Morris Agency.

Chun is earnest without being corny, and his enthusiasm is infectious. Naturally approachable, he is a prolific visionary who thrives on collaboration. “I just try to be respectful,” he says. “I definitely encourage and weigh everyone’s opinions.” Indefatigable, Chun is gearing up for his next project, You’re a Big Girl Now, which is based on his mother’s adoption by a Singaporean madam.