Love Chaos Kin
Director: Chithra Jeyaram
United States, India, 2025, 98 min
Shooting Format:4K
Festival Year:2025
Category:Documentary Feature
Cast:Anjali Iyer, Cecilia Iyer (AKA Meghna), Lakshmi Iyer, Narayanan Iyer, Sahana Iyer, Katherine Faye (AKA Brandy Stein, Mommy B), Alan Stein, Corey Stein, Priya Muthu, Isha Muthu
Crew:PRODUCER, DP, EDITOR, and WRITER - Chithra Jeyaram. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS - Gretchen Sisson, Nico Opper. CO-PRODUCER - Bhavana Goparaju. ASSOCIATE AND IMPACT PRODUCER - Emilia Toledo. MUSIC COMPOSER: Vivek Maddala. ANIMATION AND GRAPHICS - Veev Heron. ASSISTANT EDITORS - Melina Tupa and Yuhong Pang. EDITING CONSULTANTS: Hemal Trivedi, Isidore Bethel. PICTURE FINISHING SERVICES Cinemaluz. POST PRODUCTION SOUND Gramercy Post
Email:lovechaoskinmovie@gmail.com
Synopsis
An unexpected pregnancy leads an Indian immigrant mother to help her adopted twin daughters reconnect with their struggling White birth mother and estranged Native American father, forcing her to confront class divides and challenging her daughters’ sense of identity and belonging.
Trailer
About the director
Chithra Jeyaram (she/her) is a physical therapist turned filmmaker with an MFA in Film from the University of Texas, Austin. She identifies as Tamil. Her films reveal the extraordinary in the everyday, honoring the unique wisdom, resilience, and love that define both biological and chosen families. Her short film RAGS TO PADS tells the story of a husband who destigmatized menstruation and framed it as a societal issue not just a women’s issue. Her next film FOREIGN PUZZLE is a poignant exploration of motherhood that contrasts cancer's brutality with the resilience of dance. Her newest film LOVE CHAOS KIN fills a critical gap in mainstream adoption narratives by highlighting multicultural and multiracial families through the lens of immigrants and people of color. As the lead producer of the short documentary AMMA'S PRIDE, she spearheads an innovative impact campaign to bring the film to a million people in rural Tamil Nadu. The film champions unwavering parental support for trans people and marriage equality. She is an alumna of prestigious programs, including Visions du Réel’s RoughCut Lab, the Chicken & (Egg)celerator Lab, the BGDM Artist Fellowship, the Gotham Documentary Fellowship, and the Jerome Foundation grant. Her films have been showcased by platforms and festivals such as 2M, PBS, CBSN, Apple TV, BlackStar, SXSW, and DOC NYC. She is writing her first screenplay, THE LONGEST SUMMER.
Filmmaker's note
Love Chaos Kin emerged from a deeply personal journey. As an Indian immigrant contemplating adoption, I found myself grappling with questions: Can I adopt in America? How do I preserve my language, culture, and religion while raising a child in a culture adjacent to their birth heritage? It fills a critical gap in mainstream adoption narratives. By showcasing the experiences of an Indian immigrant family and their adopted White-passing, Navajo-descent twins, it provides a counter-narrative and visibility to diverse American family dynamics. It advocates for ethical, trauma-informed adoption practices that prioritize children’s well-being and maintain connections with birth families. This film shows how everyday citizens bridge divides and unite for the children they love and care about.