THE ROCKET

THE ROCKET, 2013
Australia I DCP, Color, 96’ I Laotian

Director: Kim Mordaunt

Cast: Sitthiphon Disamoe, Loungnam Kaosainam, Thep Phongam

The first international movie filmed in Laos, The Rocket opens the doors to a world unknown to many on this part of the world. Regarded as a cursed one since birth by the society, Ahlo, along with his father and grandmother is sent to a refugee camp. However, this shambles of a family is kicked out of here too before long. Homeless again, the family hits the road again, this time with the orphan Kia and his ex-army uncle Purple, a James Brown fan. At a point in the journey, wanting to prove that he is not cursed, Ahlo decides to build a gigantic rocket to take part in the region’s most dangerous competition, the Rocket Festival. The film returned from the Berlin Film Festival with the Best First Feature Award.