Mother Fish

Mother Fish is an ambitious and heartfelt film from director Khoa Do, drawing on his own experiences as a Vietnamese refugee. The story follows a middle-aged seamstress who, while working in a sweatshop, relives her harrowing journey fleeing Vietnam by boat. The film's unique approach-setting the entire narrative within the confines of the sweatshop-aims to blend past and present, symbolizing the lingering impact of trauma .

While the minimalist staging is innovative, it sometimes hampers the storytelling. The lack of a traditional setting for the boat journey requires viewers to heavily rely on imagination, which may not resonate with everyone. This theatrical technique, though artistically bold, can create a sense of detachment from the characters' plight.

The performances, delivered by a cast of first-time actors with personal connections to the refugee experience, are sincere and bring authenticity to the narrative. However, the film's emotional impact is somewhat diluted by its abstract presentation.

In summary, Mother Fish is a commendable effort that sheds light on an important story. Its experimental style may appeal to some, but others might find it challenging to fully engage with the film's emotional core.

This is a very interesting topic for a film and told visually different to your blockbuster films. The Vietnamese refugee journey had a global affect during its peak. Many people who were affected still deal with the affects of trauma the war caused. This film deals with that trauma with heart and conviction. The actors are fantastic and raw. Hieu Phan and Vico Thai gave pretty strong performances. A good film for the for cinema collection.

This movie explores the tragic circumstances of refugees fleeing their homeland in the hope of escaping to better and safer shores. It took me a while to work out the style, I knew they ere travelling in a dysfunctional boat - however the back drop is the current sweat shop that one of the sisters are currently working in. I don't want to give too much away so attempting to choose my words carefully, however, overall it is a very emotional story, one that needs to be told and seen my many - The acting is marvellous and full kudos to the director.

This film is amazing - loved both the setting and the acting.

Well worth watching.