Island of the Hungry Ghosts

{{Infobox film

| name = Island of the Hungry Ghosts

| image = Island_of_the_Hungry_Ghosts_(2018_film_poster).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Film poster

| director = Gabrielle Brady

| producer = Alexander Wadouh
Samm Haillay
Alex Kelly
Gizem Acarla
Gabrielle Brady

| writer = Gabrielle Brady

| starring = Poh Lin Lee

| narrator =

| cinematography = Michael Latham

| editing = Katharina Fiedler

| music = Aaron Cupples

| production_companies = Chromosom Film

| distributor = Autlook Filmsales

| released = {{Film date|2018|04|19|Tribeca Film Festival}}

| runtime = 98 minutes

| country = Germany
Great Britain
Australia

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jan/03/the-film-that-reveals-an-island-idylls-traumatic-secret|title=The film that reveals an island idyll's traumatic secret|website=The Guardian|date=January 3, 2019}}

It premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2018 where it won the Award for Best International Documentary.{{cite web|url=https://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/island-of-the-hungry-ghosts-2018|title=Tribeca Film Festival, Island of the Hungry Ghosts|date=April 19, 2018}} 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.

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.{{cite web|title=Island of the Hungry Ghosts - Official Website|url=http://www.christmasislandfilm.com/|website=Island of the Hungry Ghosts - Official Website}}{{cite web|url=https://www.themonthly.com.au/blog/lauren-carroll-harris/2019/05/2019/1554430417/gabrielle-brady-s-island-hungry-ghosts|title=Gabrielle Brady’s ‘The Island of Hungry Ghosts’|website=The Monthly|date=May 1, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/07/movies/island-of-the-hungry-ghosts-review.html|title=Review: Migration and Trauma on Christmas Island|website=The New York Times|date=March 7, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/island-of-the-hungry-ghosts-tribeca-review/5128320.article|title=Tribeca Review|website=Screen Daily|date=April 20, 2018}}

Accolades

class="wikitable"

!Award

!Category

!Recipient

!Result

!Ref.

rowspan="1" |Tribeca Film Festival

|Best Documentary Feature

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/award-screening-best-documentary-2018|title=Tribeca Awards Screening 2018}}

Visions du Réel

|Buyens-Chagoll Award

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.visionsdureel.ch/2018/film/island-of-the-hungry-ghosts-1|title=Visions du Réel 2018}}

Independent Spirit Awards

|Best Documentary Feature

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{nom}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/11/indie-spirit-awards-2020-nominations-complete-list.html|title=2020 Independent Spirit Awards}}

IDFA

|Amsterdam Human Rights Award

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.idfa.nl/en/article/113059/island-of-the-hungry-ghosts-wins-amsterdam-human-rights-award-2018|title=IDFA 2018 Amsterdam Human Rights Award}}

German film prize

|Best Documentary

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{pending}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.deutscher-filmpreis.de/vorauswahl/|title=German Film Prize}}

Valletta Film Festival

|Best Documentary film

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/vallettaff/status/1008106904747376640|title=Valletta Film Festival}}

Mumbai Film Festival

|Grand Jury Prize for the International Competition

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://pro.festivalscope.com/film/island-of-the-hungry-ghosts|title=Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image}}

Edinburgh International Film Festival

|Special Mention

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/356678/|title=Edinburgh International Film Festival}}

Crested Butte Film Festival

|Best Documentary

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=http://cbfilmfest.org/2018-documentary-feature-films|title=Crested Butte Film Festival}}

Adelaide Film Festival

|Flinders University Feature Documentary Award

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://adelaidefilmfestival.org/2018/10/50000-in-prizes-awarded-at-adelaide-film-festival-ceremony/|title=2018 Adelaide Film Festival}}

Darwin International Film Festival

|Best Documentary

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

Human Rights Film Festival Zurich

|Mercurius Prize

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=http://mercuriusprize.com/2019/01/16/the-mercurius-prize-at-the-human-rights-film-festival-zurich-7-december-2018-a-report/|title=Human Rights Film Festival Zurich}}

Festival des Libertés 2018

|Prix SMART

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=http://www.festivaldeslibertes.be/2019/fase6.php?event=18080#18080|title=2018 Festival des Libertés}}

SAE ATOM Awards 2018

|Best Documentary

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=http://atomawards.org/2018-tertiary-industry-entry/island-of-the-hungry-ghosts/|title=SAE ATOM Awards 2018}}

British Independent Film Awards

|Best Music

|Aaron Cupples

|{{nom}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.bifa.film/film/island-of-the-hungry-ghosts/|title=2018 British Independent Film Awards}}

FIFO Tahiti 2019

|Prix spécial du Jury

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/polynesie/tahiti/palmares-du-16e-fifo-678201.html|title=FIFO Tahiti 2019}}

rowspan="6"|Ozflix Independent Film Awards

|Best Film

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|rowspan="6"|{{Cite web|url=https://www.ozflix.tv/#!/page/1150/ozzies-2019-finalists|title=2019 Ozflix Independent Film Awards|access-date=2020-01-18|archive-date=2019-06-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190603144754/https://www.ozflix.tv/#!/page/1150/ozzies-2019-finalists|url-status=dead}}

Best Director

|Gabrielle Brady

|{{won}}

Best Cinematography

|Michael Latham

|{{won}}

Best Editing

|Katharina Fiedler

|{{won}}

Best Sound Design

|Leo Dolgan

|{{won}}

Best Original Soundtrack

|Aaron Cupples

|{{nom}}

ZagrebDox 2019

|Special Mention from the Movies That Matter Jury

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

rowspan="2"|Sole Luna Doc Film Festival 2019

|Best Documentary

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|rowspan="2"|{{Cite web|url=https://solelunadoc.org/the-winners-of-sole-luna-doc-film-festival-2019/?lang=en|title=The 2019 Sole Luna Doc Film Festival}}

Audience Prize

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

Down Under Berlin FF

|Best Film

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.downunderberlin.de/films/island-of-the-hungry-ghosts/|title=Down Under Berlin FF 2019}}

Move it! Dresden 2019

|Human Rights Award

|Island of the Hungry Ghosts

|{{won}}