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.
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.
Critic Paul O'Callaghan assessed the film as a "terse minimalist thriller" about slavery in southeast Asia. Screen Dailys Sarah Ward credited Heng with "a captivating lead" with "a rawness to his performance".
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".https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/buoyancy Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 77 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".https://www.metacritic.com/movie/buoyancy?ftag=MCD-06-10aaa1c
Awards and nominations Award Date of ceremony Category Recipients Result Berlin International Film Festival17 February 2019Prize of the Ecumenical Jury – PanoramaBuoyancyAmnesty International Film Prize Best First Feature Panorama Audience AwardThird placeMelbourne International Film Festival 18 August 2019 People's Choice Award for Best FeatureFifth placeAsia Pacific Screen Awards21 November 2019Best Youth Feature FilmAACTA Awards4 December 2019Best Indie Film
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
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