ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS (2018)

The Block Museum of Art and Pritzker Pucker Studio Lab: Chicago Mental Health Film Showcase present:

ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS (2018)

RSVP

ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS (Gabrielle Brady, 2018, 98 min, DCP, Germany/UK/Australia)

On Christmas Island, an idyllic yet isolated island in the Indian Ocean, millions of land crabs migrate annually from the jungle to the sea. The same jungle hides a high-security Australian detention center where thousands of asylum seekers have been locked away indefinitely. Their only connection to the outside world is trauma counsellor Poh Lin Lee, who lives on the island with her family. As Poh attempts to provide support through individual therapy sessions, conditions for the detainees remain unbearable. In this award-winning hybrid documentary, Australian director Gabrielle Brady masterfully interweaves the detainees' stories with the beauty of the island's natural world, intimate family moments, and the local community's "hungry ghost" rituals for the spirits of those who died on the island without a burial. Beautifully rendered and contemplative in tone, ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS makes us feel and think about belonging, isolation, and migration, while considering the limits of therapy during a time of crisis.

Followed by a post-screening discussion with film participant Poh Lin Lee and other discussants.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Northwestern University's Pritzker Pucker Studio Lab presents the Chicago Mental Health Film Showcase (May 23 - 24, 2024) – two days of films, conversations, and a creative workshop with film consultant and narrative therapist Poh Lin Lee.

About the lab: Northwestern University’s Pritzker Pucker Studio Lab for the Promotion of Mental Health via Cinematic Arts creatively examines representations of mental illness and health on screen.