The Rocket

Longlisted for this year’s Best Foreign-Language Oscar, this charming drama centres on Ahlo (Disamoe), a hapless boy from Laos who is believed in his community to be the bringer of bad luck. After a hydroelectric project leaves their village uninhabitable, he and his family set out on a calamity-prone journey in search of a new home. Determined to prove he is not the source of all disaster, Ahlo decides to compete in a dangerous competition to build a giant rocket.

Shot through with vibrant local colour, and with a flair for highlighting mischief and fun against even the most traumatic of backdrops, The Rocket is a feel-good world cinema treat, recalling the likes of Whale Rider (2002) and last year’s Wadjda in its celebration of childish tenacity and pluck.