The Rocket (2013)

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 ... See full summary »

Director:

Kim Mordaunt

Writer:

Kim Mordaunt

Stars:

Sitthiphon Disamoe, Loungnam Kaosainam, Suthep Po-ngam

28 wins & 30 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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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Australia Thailand Laos

Language:

Lao

Release Date:

29 August 2013 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Die Rakete

Filming Locations:

Laos

Box Office

Budget:

AUD 2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Red Lamp Films,Curious Film,Ecoventure

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie was banned in Laos. Even though the production crew were closely supervised by Lao government minders and the script was carefully vetted by government censors, certain scenes and dialogue were deemed "too sensitive" for release to the Lao people post production. Some examples are the display of communities being forced from their traditional homes by the flooding of valleys for hydro electric schemes and the comments about the country producing electricity for export whilst an insufficient supply is allowed for domestic consumption.

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Soundtracks

Get on the Good Foot
Written by James Brown, Fred Wesley and Joseph Mims
Performed by James Brown

User Reviews

Determined or stubborn...you decide!

"The Rocket" is a very strange film that was made in both Laos and Thailand by an Australian crew. It's an almost fairy tale-like story about a little boy, Ahlo, who is thought to be bad luck. His family is displaced from their village and then bad luck strikes several times. However, instead of feeling sorry for himself, this just makes him more determined throughout the film. Ultimately, there is a rocket contest in a village...and little Ahlo is determined to win even though he's just a kid and the rest of the entries are by adults.

This is a good film because it is so very different. Also, for a kid who looks like he's only about 8 or 9, Sitthiphon Disamoe was awfully good in the lead as Ahlo. Very interesting and a decent film for the family--even with its many references to urine, testicles and the like.