The Rocket (2013)

Laos. In a land ravaged by war and exploitation, a boy whose family believe he is cursed must redeem himself by taking part in a dangerous rocket competition.

Director:

Kim Mordaunt

Writer:

Kim Mordaunt

Stars:

Sitthiphon Disamoe, Loungnam Kaosainam, Suthep Po-ngam

28 wins & 31 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Boonsri Yindee	...	Taitok (as Bunsri Yindi)
Alice Keohavong	...	Mali
Karen	...	Baby Ahlo
Sitthiphon Disamoe	...	Ahlo
Chanthachone Latvongxay	...	Market Fish Seller
Sumrit Warin	...	Toma
Samnuan Sankote	...	Male Relocation Village Official
Jarunun Phantachat	...	Female Relocation Village Official
Walter Van Veenendaal	...	Angeo Dam Official
Yuttana Muenwaja	...	Angry Mob Leader
Chaleam Ratchaborntong	...	Thin Man
Wattana Klumkrong	...	Elderly Woman
Suthep Po-ngam	...	Purple (as Thep Phongam)
Loungnam Kaosainam	...	Kia
Sopheng Thammavong	...	Market Flower Seller

Storyline

A boy who is believed to bring bad luck to everyone around him leads his family and two new friends through Laos to find a new home. After a calamity-filled journey through a land scarred by the legacy of war, to prove he's not bad luck he builds a giant rocket to enter the most exciting and dangerous competition of the year: the Rocket Festival.

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Plot Keywords:

two word title | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was conceived by an Australian film crew making a 2007 documentary called Bomb Harvest about Australians helping clear unexploded bombs in Laos. This is explained in a 'Making of' documentary included with the DVD of this film.

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Soundtracks

Yark Hen Fan Kao
Performed by L-Zone
Written by Phonesavanh Ratsamy

User Reviews

Beautiful

A little boy has the misfortune of being the surviving twin in Laos, where tradition holds that he has 50/50 chance of bringing bad luck to all those around him. Ahlo lives in a village with his mother, father, and grandmother, when news of a new hydro electric dam disrupts their lives by uprooting them to another, supposedly better place. While dragging all of their possessions up a steep hill, tragedy strikes, and of course the young boy is blamed, especially by his superstitious grandma. They amble on to a town which holds a rocket festival every year with a cash prize. Ahlo decides to build a rocket to prove that he isn't always the messenger of doom. The actor playing Ahlo is tremendous, as is the little girl, Kia, his best friend in the film. Check IMDb credits for their long and difficult names. Rocket will have you jumping up and cheering for this underdog to finally be accepted. One of the ten best movies of the year, and severely overlooked.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Australia Thailand Laos

Language:

Lao

Release Date:

29 August 2013 (Australia)

Also Known As:

The Rocket

Filming Locations:

Laos

Box Office

Budget:

AUD2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,621, 12 January 2014

Gross USA:

$56,823

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$449,064

Company Credits

Production Co:

Red Lamp Films, Curious Film, Ecoventure

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1