“A beautiful, harrowing story of boatpeople that should be compulsory viewing during the current election campaign…I have seen no film that compares with Mother Fish.”
4 stars
- EVAN WILLIAMS, THE AUSTRALIAN
“Immensely moving…the power of the piece lies in the truth of the experience and in the truth of the performances, and in the poetry of its resolution.”
4 stars
- MARGARET POMERANZ, AT THE MOVIES
“A film of extraordinary beauty, deeply unsettling terror and profound emotion…Do displays an understanding and application of technical prowess that Australian cinema has not seen in many years…his exquisitely-effortless skill as a storyteller ensures the politically-volatile nature of his story never overrides the pure humanity he captures in his characters.”
5 stars
- SIMON FOSTER, SBS FILMS
“This beautifully crafted and ambitious film is compelling and deeply affecting…stunning and completely unforgettable.”
- ERIN FREE, FILMINK
Each day the newspapers alert us to the arrival of yet another boat. The stories remain the same – Australia is unable to handle any more refugees.
But have we forgotten about the plight of those on the boats? Who are they? Where have they come from? Why have they had to leave their homes?
What is it really like being onboard a leaky river boat in the middle of the ocean?
The inspiring story of four refugees fleeing Vietnam in 1980, MOTHER FISH goes inside the mind of one of the survivors. The present melds with the past as a quiet factory worker relives the extraordinary journey when she and her sister took to the sea in a creaky river boat in search of a better life.
The Making of Mother Fish:
MOTHER FISH was produced in December 2008 – 2009, made on a micro budget (less than the cost of an average 30 second Australian television commercial). With the support of Powerhouse Youth Theatre and the Parramatta Artists Studios, MOTHER FISH was made as a direct response to the increasing fear and hysteria surrounding refugees arriving in Australia.
About the Production:
Director and Producer Khoa Do and his Imaginefly team volunteered their time to create MOTHER FISH in order to bring awareness to this incredible plight.
International bestselling novelist Matthew Reilly lent his name to the production as Executive Producer in order to bring MOTHER FISH to festival audiences.
Supporters:
The film was co-produced and supported by Eleanor Winkler and Claudia Chidiac at Powerhouse Youth Theatre – the leading youth theatre company in western Sydney dedicated to providing opportunities for youths in the region to be engaged in the arts. See: www.pyt.com.au
Parramatta City Council and the Parramatta Artists Studios assisted greatly in producing the film. See: www.parracity.nsw.gov.au
Screen Australia contributed finishing funds for the film to be completed for its Sydney Film Festival premiere.
For a micro-budget production, MOTHER FISH has been tremendously successful.
AN IMAGINEFLY PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH POWERHOUSE YOUTH THEATRE.
FINANCED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF SCREEN AUSTRALIA AND PARRAMATTA CITY COUNCIL.
DISTRIBUTED BY TITAN VIEW IN AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND.