The fight against modern slavery in the fishing industry
Ghost Fleet follows a small group of activists who risk their lives to find justice and freedom for the enslaved fishermen. Bangkok-based Patima Tungpuchayakul, a Thai abolitionist, has committed her life to helping these “lost” men return home. Facing illness, death threats, corruption, and complacency, Patima’s fearless determination for justice inspires her nation and the world.
Much of the seafood in our daily lives – sushi, frozen fish, shrimp cocktail, and the vast amount that goes into pet food – was caught by slaves. Thailand is one of the world’s largest seafood exporters with a huge fishing fleet that needs thousands of fishermen. Decades of overfishing has decimated fish stocks in the region, and today the Gulf of Thailand is one of the most barren parts of the ocean. Thai captains now scramble to find crew willing to travel thousands of miles to find fish. Human traffickers have started to fill the labour shortage by selling men from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and other impoverished nations to fishing companies for as little as a few hundred dollars each. Once at sea, these captive men go months, even years, without setting foot on land, earning little to no pay – becoming slaves at sea.
Festivals / film awards
- 2020: Emmy Awards, USA, News & Documentary, Nominated for Outstanding Cinematography
- 2019: Documentary Edge Festival, NZ, Best International Feature, Honourable Mention
- 2019: International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights, CH, Creative Documentary, Special Mention of the Jury
- 2019: Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, USA, Spotlight Documentary Competition, Winner
- 2019: Palm Springs International Film Festival, USA, John Schlesinger Award, Winner
- 2018: DOC NYC, USA, Nominated for Grand Jury Prize
- 2018: El Gouna Film Festival, EG, Feature Documentary Competition, Nominated for the Golden Star
- 2018: Hamptons International Film Festival, USA, Documentary Feature Competition, Nominated for the Golden Starfish Award