Moving to Mars
Director: Mat Whitecross (d.) and Karen Katz (p.)
Synopsis
Moving to Mars tells the story of two families from Burma who travel from a vast refugee camp on the Thai/Burma border to their new homes in the United Kingdom.
Having accepted that they can never return to their home country, the families are due to be relocated to Sheffield, England. The film depicts their moving and often humorous struggles with twenty-first century Britain, whilst examining their tragic pasts.
Moving to Mars is the debut feature for director Mat Whitecross and producer Karen Katz. Whitecross co-directed The Road to Guantanamo with Michael Winterbottom and edited 9 Songs.
About the director
Mat Whitecross is one of the UK’s most up and coming directors and his debut feature The Road to Guantanamo, which he co-directed with Michael Winterbottom won the Silver Bear in Berlin Film Festival in 2006. He is currently also directing the Shock Doctrine with Michael Winterbottom as well as music videos for Coldplay. Prior to setting up Coded Pictures, Karen worked in the UK film industry for over ten years in both a production and acquisitions capacity. She has worked for BBC, Miramax Films and Trademark Films. Moving to Mars is Coded Pictures’ first feature documentary. It is currently in post production and will play as part of the True Stories strand on C4.
Previous films:The Road to Guantanamo, co-directed with Michael Winterbottom
9 Songs, Editor
According to the filmmakers
”We wanted to make Moving to Mars to highlight the plight of the Karen people fleeing the repressive regime in Burma, and the extreme culture shock they undergo upon arrival in the West.
The film is told exclusively through the refugees’ eyes, without any intermediary, enabling the audience to identify with them directly. We felt it was important to counter the negative stereotyping of refugees so typical in the media, and to portray them as individuals, undergoing a courageous, difficult and sometimes humorous journey.”
Sales/Screening Contact
- Name:
- Karen Katz, Coded Pictures
- Email address: