Buoyancy


Sarm Heng
Buoyancy by Rodd Rathjen
AUS 2019, Panorama
© Rafael Winer

Buoyancy by Rodd Rathjen
AUS 2019, Panorama
© Rafael Winer

Mony Ros, Sarm Heng, Thanawut Kasro
Buoyancy by Rodd Rathjen
AUS 2019, Panorama
© Rafael Winer

Rodd Rathjen
Buoyancy by Rodd Rathjen
AUS 2019, Panorama
Rodd Rathjen’s first feature film is a brutal yet realistic depiction of the situation for Cambodian forced labourers. This Australian director’s approach is far from pretty and spares no-one. His gripping film is a passionate testimony against social injustice and, at the same time, a touching and shocking coming-of-age story about a boy whose humanity is put to the test.
With
- Sarm Heng (Chakra)
- Thanawut Kasro (Rom Ran)
- Mony Ros (Kea)
Crew
Written and Directed by | Rodd Rathjen |
Cinematography | Michael Latham |
Editing | Graeme Pereira |
Music | Lawrence English |
Sound Design | Sam Petty |
Sound | Dane Cody |
Production Design | Bethany Ryan |
Costumes | Kanhchana Samrith |
Make-Up | Rachana Boun |
Casting | Non Jungmeier |
Assistant Director | Greg Cobain |
Production Manager | Boluny Ros |
Line Producer | Sovichea Cheap |
Producers | Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton, Rita Walsh |
Executive Producers | Rithy Panh, Michele Turnure-Salleo, Jeff Harrison, Bryce Menzies, Jonathan Page, Kate Kennedy, Alicia Brown, Jonathan Duffy, Paula Smith Arrigoni |
Co-Producer | Steven McKinnon |
World Sales
Produced by

Group picture
The Ecumenical Jury with the winners from the sections Competition und Panorama: Margrit Frölich (Jury), Labina Mitevska (Actress in and producer of the winning film Gospod postoi, imeto i’ e Petrunija), Dominique Dipio (Jury), Pamela Aleman (Jury), Kristine Greenaway (Jury), Rodd Rathjen (director of the winning film Buoyancy), Micah Bucey (Jury) and Dr. Anna Grebe (Head of the Jury).
Buoyancy · Panorama · Prizes of the Independent Juries · Feb 16, 2019

Sarm Heng
The leading actor of the Australian film.
Buoyancy · Panorama · Feb 08, 2019

Michael Stütz, Rodd Rathjen, Sarm Heng
The curator, the director and the leading actor during Q&A.
Buoyancy · Panorama · Feb 08, 2019
Rodd Rathjen

Born in Colbinabbin, a small town in central Victoria, Australia in 1981, he graduated with an honours degree in film and television from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2010. His short film Tau Seru, which he directed in India, premiered in the Semaine de la Critique at Cannes in 2013; it went on to screen at over 50 festivals worldwide and won a number of international awards. In 2014, he participated in Berlinale Talents. Buoyancy is his debut feature film.
Filmography
2013 Tau Seru; short film 2015 Sweat; short film
Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2019