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

Neng Sang Ku
Sacred chanting performed by Lahu Shi priests and Wan Kong Pyak
Recorded by Victoria Vorreiter

User Reviews

The Rocket is effective, simple storytelling with many layers and a film that tells more stories than its narrative suggests.

Trekking through the dangerous jungles of Laos, 10-year old Ahlo (Sitthiphon Disamoe) is determined to convince his superstitious family that he is not a lightning rod for bad luck.

Blessed with a nutty uncle obsessed with James Brown (Thep Phongam) and caught in the middle of a village relocation program over the building of a dam, Ahlo's eventful journey takes him through the scarred landscape of his home, littered with Vietnam-era bombs that are still waiting to go off.

Australian writer/director Kim Mordaunt was inspired to make this wistful, often lyrical film after his 2007 documentary Bomb Harvest, which told of the annual toll claimed by the unexploded bombs in Laos.

Thankfully he layers the unavoidable political notes with real warmth, humour and character, a quality that clearly benefited from using a mix of professional and non-professional actors. Mordaunt also knows how to use irony without pushing it; as Ahlo aims to prove his worth at a big rocket festival, we're reminded that The Rocket is not a political allegory, it's an offbeat, celebratory coming-of-age story about a kid.

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