Buoyancy (film)

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	8 February 2019 (2019-02-08) (Berlin)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	Australia
Languages	Khmer Thai Isan

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]

Plot

Inspired 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

• Sarm Heng as Chakra
• Thanawut Kasro as Rom Ran (first trafficker)
• Mony Ros as Kea
• Saicheer Wongwirot as Kadir (second trafficker)

Release

The 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

Critical response

Buoyancy 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

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

• List of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
• List of Australian submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

References

1. Frater, Patrick (25 September 2019). "Australia Floats Buoyancy as Its Oscars Contender". Variety. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
2. Roxborough, Scott (21 January 2019). "Berlin Film Festival Completes Panorama Lineup". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
3. O'Callaghan, Paul (13 February 2019). "Berlinale first look: Buoyancy is a harrowing thriller about modern slavery". BFI. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
4. Ward, Sarah (8 February 2019). "'Buoyancy': Berlin Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
5. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/buoyancy
6. https://www.metacritic.com/movie/buoyancy?ftag=MCD-06-10aaa1c
7. Groves, Don (18 February 2019). "Rodd Rathjen's 'Buoyancy' wins Berlin prize". If Magazine. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
8. "Audience Awards". Melbourne International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
9. Frater, Patrick (15 October 2019). "Wang Xiaoshuai's 'So Long, My Son' Earns Six APSA Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
10. Walker, Winsome (3 December 2019). "AACTA Awards 2019 Winners: The Complete List". E! Online. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
11. "Winners & Nominees, 2019". AACTA. Retrieved 26 February 2024.

External links

• Buoyancy at IMDb