Film tells story of outcast’s journey to acceptance
Jul 17, 2014 | 1050 views | 0 0 comments | 11 11 recommendations | email to a friend | print
In the film “The Rocket,” a boy who is believed to bring bad luck to those around him goes on a journey to find a new home and to prove he is not cursed. The film will be screened in Moab on Thursday, July 17 at 7 p.m. at Star Hall, 125 E. Center St. “The Rocket” will be presented in Moab through a collaboration between the Utah Film Center and the Grand County Public Library.

Described as “gripping yet heart-warming,” the film traces the journey of Ahlo, who is blamed for a string of disasters that struck his community and is forced, along with his family, to seek a new home. Along the way, Ahlo meets a spirited orphan named Kia and her eccentric uncle, Purple — an ex-soldier who wears a purple suit, drinks rice wine and is obsessed with the singer James Brown. Kia and Purple join Ahlo and his family as they travel across Laos to make their new home.

In a last-ditch attempt to prove he is not cursed, Ahlo builds a giant explosive rocket and plans to enter it into the most lucrative but dangerous competition — the Rocket Festival.

According to the film’s website, the movie is one of the first feature films for international release set and shot in Laos.

Written and directed by Kim Mordaunt, “The Rocket” is the winner of Best Narrative Feature, Best Actor and the Audience Award at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival; and Best First Feature, the Amnesty International Prize, and the Crystal Bear at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival.
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