Miracle Fish

The events take place during a current-day Australian school day, centering on Joe's eighth birthday. The narrative moves through lunchtime and a later afternoon sequence that heightens tension. The modern setting underscores themes of fate, control, and everyday vulnerability within a familiar environment.

The story unfolds inside a suburban Australian school, with corridors, a sick bay, staff rooms, and an auditorium forming the enclosed stage. The once-familiar building becomes tense and eerie as the day progresses toward an unexpected crisis. The setting emphasizes the contrast between everyday routines and the sudden intrusion of danger.

🔮 Destiny

A magical object in the story suggests a predetermined path, inviting reflection on whether future outcomes can be known or changed. The 'Miracle Fish' appears to reveal a destiny shaped by compassion, yet the characters must still choose how to act. The film uses this tension to explore how belief in fate influences behavior and choices in real life.

💔 Bullying

Joe endures bullying at school, highlighting the social wounds that can form in childhood. The narrative uses these dynamics to examine isolation, insecurity, and the longing for belonging. It also contrasts cruelty with moments of kindness that reveal resilience.

⚠️ Violence

The arrival of an armed intruder introduces a palpable sense of danger that upends the ordinary school day. The tension derives not from graphic spectacle but from the threat and the responses of those present. The scene probes how fear, authority, and improvisation intersect when violence disrupts a community.