Tired of toiling in rice fields, 14-year-old Chakra leaves Cambodia in search of a Bangkok factory job. After paying smugglers to ferry him over the border, Chakra is instead traded to a seafood trawler where violence and murder are routine, all under the watch of a ruthless and sadistic captain.

An assured debut by Australian director Rodd Rathjen, this harrowingly tense, real-life thriller opens a window on the reality of modern slavery. Buoyancy boasts incredible performances by nonprofessional actors and a suspenseful atmosphere that transforms a desperate story into gripping cinema.