Documentary Short AFIN 119
Through the Eyes of Children
Directed by 
James Lingwood
AFIN 2021 Nominee
- 2021
- 13m
-
Australia - English, Thai
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Credits
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Synopsis
When you’re a child living in one of Bangkok’s largest slums, there seems to be little hope of anything. Except, that is, if you happen to be a very talented artist whose work becomes celebrated on the other side of the world…
Director's Statement
There are times in one’s life when you come across something so compelling and inspirational that you are driven to become part of it in some way. As such, I feel privileged as a filmmaker to use the power of film to enrich and touch the lives of others and bring stories to the world that are born of passion rather than box-office receipts. This is our primary motivation and driving force. Over the past few years, we have come to know Father Joe and the Mercy Centre extremely well. We find ourselves in a very privileged and special position because of this relationship and therefore have unique access to the Mercy Centre, the Klong Toey slums and Fr. Joe himself. Having been accepted as part of the family and with all these elements in place, we believe that we are in a very good position to make a unique and very special short documentary. Through the Eyes of Children has been developed and is evolving into a very warm and emotionally-charged film. The camera becomes almost invisible as we capture the spontaneity and surprise of the unpredictable. Stylised slow-motion and tracking shots create a moody and filmic perspective. Coupled with outstanding landscape images of Australia and Thailand, this is a far-reaching and character-driven documentary which we believe fulfils and underlines the philosophies and objectives of Little Dot Productions. A strong music soundtrack will underscore and dramatically heighten the production. The film will minimise the use of talking heads and generally favour action/actuality over in-picture interview material.
What makes this one special
- Award-winning elsewhereKolkata International Shorts Film Festival
- Programmed at 4 other festivalsAcross 3 countries
- Nominated for Best Short Documentary
Also selected at
1 award, 1 nomination, 2 official selections across 4 other festivals
- WinnerKolkata International Shorts Film Festival
- NomineeInternational Heart of Gold Film Festival
- SelectionBangalore International shorts Film Festival
- SelectionInternational Quorum of Motion Picture Producers
Recorded by the filmmaker on their entry.
Director's Biography
James Lingwood Director
Over the past 25 years James Lingwood has produced and directed over 200 hours of international film and television programs. Some of these include :- the award-winning Australian children’s television series, The Curiosity Show which was awarded the Gold Medal at the Prix Jeunesse International in Munich for best children’s program; the highly acclaimed international television series, The Voyage Of The Great Southern Ark, which charts the 4 billion year evolution of Australia, From The Dragon's Mouth, a ten year retrospective of Hong Kong which was screened by BBC World in 2007. James is currently working on the feature documentary, Father Joe & the Bangkok Slaughterhouse, as well as a slate of international feature films and television series. James recently completed the film Through the Eyes of Children which was commissioned by Little Dot Studios, UK, and has been screened very successfully on their You Tube Channel. The film has also been invited to screen at the International Heart of Gold Festival in Queensland. Having worked with a variety of prominent actors such as Jackie Chan and Geoffrey Rush, recent productions have been awarded over sixty international film & television prizes. James has been granted membership to the International Quorum of Motion Picture Producers, USA whose membership consists of some of the world’s top film & television producers in over 60 countries. James is also a Member of the Australian Directors Guild and an Executive Member of the National Chinese Documentary Film Academy.
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Through the Eyes of Children was an official Nominee for Best Short Documentary at the AFIN International Film Festival 2021, a Top 100 Best Reviewed and IMDb-qualifying festival.
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