Buoyancy is a 2019 Australian drama film directed by Rodd Rathjen. It was selected as the Australian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[1]
| Buoyancy | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Rodd Rathjen |
| Written by | Rodd Rathjen |
| Produced by | Kristina Ceyton Samantha Jennings Rita Walsh |
| Starring | Sarm Heng |
| Cinematography | Michael Latham |
| Edited by | Graeme Pereira |
| Music by | Lawrence English |
Production company | Causeway Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Languages | Khmer Thai Isan |
Plot
editInspired by actual events, a 14-year-old Cambodian boy becomes a victim of human trafficking when he is enslaved on a Thai fishing trawler.
Cast
edit- Sarm Heng as Chakra
- Thanawut Kasro as Rom Ran (first trafficker)
- Mony Ros as Kea
- Saicheer Wongwirot as Kadir (second trafficker)
Release
editThe film's premiere took place at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival.[2]
Critic Paul O'Callaghan assessed the film as a "terse minimalist thriller" about slavery in southeast Asia.[3] Screen Daily's Sarah Ward credited Heng with "a captivating lead" with "a rawness to his performance".[4]
Reception
editCritical response
editBuoyancy has an approval rating of 97% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 35 reviews, and an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's critical consensus states: "Grueling but powerful, Buoyancy finds grim urgency in its portrayal of a young man's horrific captivity and fight for human dignity".[5] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]
Awards and nominations
edit| Award | Date of Ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin International Film Festival | 17 February 2019 | Prize of the Ecumenical Jury – Panorama | Buoyancy | Won | [7] |
| Amnesty International Film Prize | Nominated | ||||
| Best First Feature | Nominated | ||||
| Panorama Audience Award | Third place | ||||
| Melbourne International Film Festival | 18 August 2019 | People's Choice Award for Best Feature | Fifth place | [8] | |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 21 November 2019 | Best Youth Feature Film | Won | [9] | |
| AACTA Awards | 4 December 2019 | Best Indie Film | Won | [10][11] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Frater, Patrick (25 September 2019). "Australia Floats Buoyancy as Its Oscars Contender". Variety. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (21 January 2019). "Berlin Film Festival Completes Panorama Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ O'Callaghan, Paul (13 February 2019). "Berlinale first look: Buoyancy is a harrowing thriller about modern slavery". BFI. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ Ward, Sarah (8 February 2019). "'Buoyancy': Berlin Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/buoyancy
- ^ https://www.metacritic.com/movie/buoyancy?ftag=MCD-06-10aaa1c
- ^ Groves, Don (18 February 2019). "Rodd Rathjen's 'Buoyancy' wins Berlin prize". If Magazine. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ^ "Audience Awards". Melbourne International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (15 October 2019). "Wang Xiaoshuai's 'So Long, My Son' Earns Six APSA Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ^ Walker, Winsome (3 December 2019). "AACTA Awards 2019 Winners: The Complete List". E! Online. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
- ^ "Winners & Nominees, 2019". AACTA. Retrieved 26 February 2024.