One afternoon, Jerry Hsu, a Florida man, gathers his family to tell them a secret: he was recruited by the Chinese government as an undercover agent. Law Chen’s fascinating docufiction astounded audiences at Slamdance, and won three awards: winning the Grand Jury, Audience, and Best Actor Awards.
Jerry’s story seemed so far-fetched that John Hsu, Jerry’s son and a film producer, hired filmmaker Law Chen to document their family’s tale, and the result is a stunning documentary that is at once a story of family, of paranoia and conspiracy, and what it means to be an American. “[A] beautiful puzzle box of a film.” –Steve Kopian, Unseen Films
Director Biography
Law Chen is a director from Beijing, China, currently based in Brooklyn, whose narrative, documentary, and commercial films have earned 19 Cannes Lion awards. He has directed numerous short films. Starring Jerry as Himself (2023) is his debut feature.