Heading for Deep Water: Interrogating Detention in Gabrielle Brady's 'Island of the Hungry Ghosts'

Juxtaposing contrasting images of movement on Christmas Island – millions of red crabs on a migratory march, the arrested passage of local souls to the spirit world, and Australia's indefinite detention of refugees – Island of the Hungry Ghosts takes an unconventional route in portraying ongoing injustices towards asylum seekers. In conversation with writer/director Gabrielle Brady, Anthony Carew unpacks the messages and stylistic interventions contained in this hybrid documentary.

Additional keywords:
refugee, boat people, people smuggler, human rights, social justice, offshore detention, Chinese, Malay, phosphate mining, full moon, Poh Lin Lee, suicide, self-harm, hunger strike, therapy, counselling, trauma.