Set against the lush backdrop of rural Laos, this spirited drama tells the story of scrappy ten-year-old Ahlo, who yearns to break free from his ill-fated destiny. After his village is displaced to make way for a massive dam, Ahlo escapes with his father and grandmother through the Laotian outback in search of a new home. Along the way, they come across a rocket festival that offers Ahlo a lucrative but dangerous chance to prove his worth.
The Rocket is a 2013 Australian drama film written and directed by Kim Mordaunt. It is set entirely in Northern Laos, and spoken in the Lao language. As an Australian production, it was the country’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards but was not nominated. The Rocket won the Audience Award and the award for Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film at the Tribeca Film Festival. It was screened at the AFI Fest.
