Snakehead (2021)

Snakehead (2021). Snakehead: Directed by Evan Jackson Leong. With Sung Kang, Shuya Chang, Celia Au, Devon Diep. A Chinese immigrant get caught up in an international crime ring of human smuggling while attempting to make a better life for her family.

“Sister Tse is a survivor. After leaving China in a container ship she is arrested the moment she steps into New York. Her baby girl is taken from her there. Returning years later to try to find her daughter, Sister Tse first has a debt to pay to the snakeheads (smugglers). They push her to sell her body, she rebels, and is brutally punished. However, her survivor instincts and courageous spirit gain her the favor of Dai Mah, a crime boss and snakehead in Chinatown. Competition is fierce for Dai Mahu0026#39;s attention and Sister Tse is just an errand rat, but with Dai Mahu0026#39;s encouragement she begins to rise. There is a big difference between fear and respect, and unlike Dai Mah, Sister Tse is the respectful type. Her power lies in what she gives rather than what she takes, and herein is the path to redemption and a true home.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSnakehead is exhilarating and authentic. Narrated by the character of Sister Tse the film illuminates some of the true reasons that people immigrate. These reasons do not usually include money. The film is thrilling because it pulls back the curtain on the criminal underworld of smugglers and is based on real crime stories including that of Cheng Chui Ping (aka Sister Ping), who ran a long-standing snakehead operation in New York.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFrom law school I know that the great majority of people are convicted of crimes based on their own statements. People MUST talk about what they did, and this bites them in the butt. This is why the first words out of a lawyeru0026#39;s mouth are usually some version of u0026quot;shut up and let me do the talking.u0026quot; Snakehead reveals this truth.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSeen at the Toronto international film festival.”