From leaky boat to JCA via the silver screen
The Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA) announced last week that Khao Do, the Australian Film Industry (AFI) Award nominee and 2005 Young Australian of the Year, would replace Jacqueline Pascarl, who has fallen ill, as the keynote speaker at the women's campaign event on September 9.
LEXI LANDSMAN
KHAO Do has changed the lives of disadvantaged youth with the tools of film.
The Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA) announced last week that the Australian Film Industry (AFI) Award nominee and 2005 Young Australian of the Year would replace Jacqueline Pascarl, who has fallen ill, as the keynote speaker at the women’s campaign event on September 9.
“We were all saddened to hear that Jacqueline is not well and that she will be unable to speak at the event,” JCA chief executive officer Ian Sandler told The AJN.
“We were, however, fortunate to experience Khoa Do at our women’s gold event.¬† His address was so inspiring – it was a natural decision for him to speak at the women’s general division,” said Sandler.
Do will relay his personal story – from arriving in Australia in 1980 as a Vietnamese refugee on a tiny fishing boat to becoming the 2005 Young Australian of the Year.
“I hope that people can potentially be inspired by my journey and my story,” Do, 30, said.
Do is a film director, screenwriter and teacher who works with disadvantaged youth. He said a turning point in his life was the first day he taught a group of disadvantaged youth.
“I looked at them and thought, ‘Wow, I could have so easily been sitting in that chair myself’. Ever since that day, I do anything I can to help others achieve their dreams.”
In 2002, a group of disadvantaged youths with a range of problems stemming from drug-use, homelessness and crime had come to the Open Family Welfare Centre in Cabramatta, where Do was working as a volunteer. He taught the group skills in filmmaking and together they created the internationally acclaimed film, The Finished People.
“Working in the arts and film is all about making a difference and telling stories that we need to tell,” he said. “I work a lot with young people who have had extraordinary backgrounds and very difficult lives. By us working together to create something positive, it shows others we can work together to make a difference.”
In 2004, Do was the youngest film director in Australian history to be nominated for an AFI Award for best director. Over the years, he has received many awards for his work in the community and with young people including Young Vietnamese Australian of the Year Award 2000, Young Citizen of the Year Award 2001 and the Young Australian of the Year Award 2005.
Most recently, Do wrote and directed Footy Legends, starring Claudia Karvan. He is currently working on Missing Water.