The Rocket (2012, Australia/Laos)
Drama, Event
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Director: Kim Mordaunt
Starring: Sitthiphon Disamoe, Loungnam Kaosainam, Suthep Po-ngam, Bunsri Yindi, Sumrit Warin
Genre: Drama
Duration: 96 mins
A heartwarming coming-of-age tale set entirely in Laos, this spirited drama tells the story of ten-year-old Ahlo, who yearns to break free from his ill-fated destiny (Ahlo is the surviving twin of a difficult birth and is believed to be a source of bad luck). After his village is displaced to make way for a massive dam, Ahlo escapes with his father and grandmother through the Laotian outback in search of a new home. Along the way, they come across a rocket festival that offers a chance for a new beginning. Filmmaker Kim Mordaunt, whose documentary Bomb Harvest investigated Laos’s status as the most bombed country in the world, returned to make this drama whose characters embody the spirit of resilience and hope born out of a country affected by a legacy of war and undergoing great economic change.
Best First Feature at the Berlinale and Best Narrative Feature at Tribeca
At The Movies Review for The Rocket here