Island of the Hungry Ghosts

Last updated
Island of the Hungry Ghosts
Island of the Hungry Ghosts (2018 film poster).jpg
Film poster
Directed by Gabrielle Brady
Written byGabrielle Brady
Produced byAlexander Wadouh
Samm Haillay
Alex Kelly
Gizem Acarla
Gabrielle Brady
StarringPoh Lin Lee
CinematographyMichael Latham
Edited byKatharina Fiedler
Music by Aaron Cupples
Production
company
Chromosom Film
Distributed byAutlook Filmsales
Release date
  • April 19, 2018 (2018-04-19)(Tribeca Film Festival)
Running time
98 minutes
CountriesGermany
Great Britain
Australia
LanguageEnglish

Island of the Hungry Ghosts is a hybrid documentary film by director Gabrielle Brady that explores the conflict faced by trauma therapist Poh Lin Lee, who works in the Australian Detention Centre for Asylum Seekers on Christmas Island. [1] It premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2018 where it won the Award for Best International Documentary. [2] It was shown at festivals all over the world, winning several prizes. It was also released in cinemas in the United Kingdom, Australia, North America and Germany.

Contents

Summary

Located off the coast of Indonesia, the Australian territory of Christmas Island is inhabited by migratory crabs travelling in their millions from the jungle towards the ocean, in a movement that has been provoked by the full moon for hundreds of thousands of years.

Poh Lin Lee is a “trauma therapist” who lives with her family in this seemingly idyllic paradise. Every day, she talks with the asylum seekers held indefinitely in a high-security detention centre hidden in the island’s core, attempting to support them in a situation that is as unbearable as its outcome is uncertain. As Poh Lin and her family explore the island’s beautiful yet threatening landscape, the local islanders carry out their “hungry ghost” rituals for the spirits of those who died on the island without a burial. They make offerings to appease the lost souls who are said to be wandering the jungles at night looking for home.

In the intimacy of her therapy sessions, as Poh Lin listens to the growing sense of despair of the people she counsels, she begins to feel the creeping dystopia reverberate through her own life.

Island of the Hungry Ghosts is a hybrid documentary that moves between the natural migration and the chaotic and tragic migration of the humans, which is in constant metamorphoses by the unseen decision-making structures. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Accolades

AwardCategoryRecipientResultRef.
Tribeca Film Festival Best Documentary FeatureIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [7]
Visions du Réel Buyens-Chagoll AwardIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [8]
Independent Spirit Awards Best Documentary Feature Island of the Hungry GhostsNominated [9]
IDFA Amsterdam Human Rights AwardIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [10]
German film prizeBest DocumentaryIsland of the Hungry GhostsPending [11]
Valletta Film FestivalBest Documentary filmIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [12]
Mumbai Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for the International CompetitionIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [13]
Edinburgh International Film Festival Special MentionIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [14]
Crested Butte Film Festival Best DocumentaryIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [15]
Adelaide Film Festival Flinders University Feature Documentary AwardIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [16]
Darwin International Film FestivalBest DocumentaryIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon
Human Rights Film Festival ZurichMercurius PrizeIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [17]
Festival des Libertés 2018Prix SMARTIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [18]
SAE ATOM Awards 2018Best DocumentaryIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [19]
British Independent Film Awards Best Music Aaron Cupples Nominated [20]
FIFO Tahiti 2019Prix spécial du JuryIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [21]
Ozflix Independent Film AwardsBest FilmIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [22]
Best DirectorGabrielle BradyWon
Best CinematographyMichael LathamWon
Best EditingKatharina FiedlerWon
Best Sound DesignLeo DolganWon
Best Original Soundtrack Aaron Cupples Nominated
ZagrebDox 2019Special Mention from the Movies That Matter JuryIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon
Sole Luna Doc Film Festival 2019Best DocumentaryIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [23]
Audience PrizeIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon
Down Under Berlin FFBest FilmIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [24]
Move it! Dresden 2019Human Rights AwardIsland of the Hungry GhostsWon [25]
Aubagne International Film FestivalBest Original Soundtrack Aaron Cupples Nominated [26]

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References

  1. "The film that reveals an island idyll's traumatic secret". The Guardian . January 3, 2019.
  2. "Tribeca Film Festival, Island of the Hungry Ghosts". April 19, 2018.
  3. "Island of the Hungry Ghosts - Official Website". Island of the Hungry Ghosts - Official Website.
  4. "Gabrielle Brady's 'The Island of Hungry Ghosts'". The Monthly . May 1, 2019.
  5. "Review: Migration and Trauma on Christmas Island". The New York Times . March 7, 2019.
  6. "Tribeca Review". Screen Daily . April 20, 2018.
  7. "Tribeca Awards Screening 2018".
  8. "Visions du Réel 2018".
  9. "2020 Independent Spirit Awards".
  10. "IDFA 2018 Amsterdam Human Rights Award".
  11. "German Film Prize".
  12. "Valletta Film Festival".
  13. "Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image".
  14. "Edinburgh International Film Festival".
  15. "Crested Butte Film Festival".
  16. "2018 Adelaide Film Festival".
  17. "Human Rights Film Festival Zurich".
  18. "2018 Festival des Libertés".
  19. "SAE ATOM Awards 2018".
  20. "2018 British Independent Film Awards".
  21. "FIFO Tahiti 2019".
  22. "2019 Ozflix Independent Film Awards".
  23. "The 2019 Sole Luna Doc Film Festival".
  24. "Down Under Berlin FF 2019".
  25. "Move it! Dresden 2019".
  26. "2019 Aubagne International Film Festival".