Burmese Language
Suu Kyi, Zarganar to host film festival
Burma’s independence day in January next year will be marked with the launch of a film festival organised by two of the country’s leading pro-democracy luminaries, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and comedian Zarganar.
Billed as the Art of Freedom Film Festival, it will open on 31 December and showcase both short films and documentaries. Suu Kyi is due to present awards to the festival’s winners on Independence Day on 4 January.
“The main theme is the idea that art can be created only when there is freedom, and film makers are to define freedom in their piece in whichever way they see it,” Zarganar, who was recently released from prison, told DVB.
He added that a number of entries were also likely to focus on the day Burma achieved independence after nearly a century of British rule. “Our main focus is about freedom and it doesn’t matter if they talk about history or not,” he said.
Also helping to organise the festival is former award-winning Burmese actor and director Kyaw Thu, whom since being banished from the film world has headed the highly-praised Free Funeral Service Society. The three will be joined by fellow film director Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi.
Zarganar, who served three years of a 35-year sentence after criticising the Burmese government’s woeful response to Cyclone Nargis in 2008, said he will be entering his own film focusing on the life of Thiri Thudhamma Khin Kyi, the wife of Burmese independence hero General Aung San and mother of Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi herself is the subject of French director Luc Besson’s latest offering, The Lady, which stars Michelle Yeoh and which yesterday opened the Rome film festival.
Tags: aung san suu kyi, burma, film, myanmar, zarganar
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Do they still live in the real world?
While enjoying the film-fest, think of the some 4 million Burmese who are working for a pittance in heartless neighbouring countries. All because of the economic sanctions. Never in our history so few have exploited the miseries of so many. Hang your heads in shame.
I don’t think the economic sanctions are the reason why Burma’s people have to work elsewhere in poor conditions. It’s the lack of economic and educational opportunities in Burma, created by the greed of the military government that is the cause of it. Burma is rich with resources and can provide jobs for many without the need of economic trade from others. The natural gas, agricultural, education (of all levels), journalism, internet businesses, tourism (by Burmese people within Burma), etc can be all sources of jobs if the people are trained and skilled (through proper education) to take those jobs, and if those jobs are not reserved by only elite people who can work there or if the restrictions for access (such as licenses for business or internet usage etc.) are available. Whether economic sanctions are effective political tools is a whole other discussion, but whether it’s harmful to the citizens of Burma is probably not as strong of an argument.
The Burmese are known for their strong individualism. Lock up three Burmese in a room and you would get four opinions, so they say.
Yet, when it comes to bashing the military they all seem to adopt a herd mentality — parroting headlines from the media.
We did have one of the best education systems in the region in the past. Only to be destroyed by the half-educated national-socialists, who are never blamed.
The nation-wide uprising in 1988 was about economic freedom, above all, — and the people won. Only to see the politicians beg the ignorant West to impose sanctions, thus holding the economy hostage.
The sanctions have retarded much-needed economic development, forcing tens of thousands of ordinary Burmese to seek jobs in pitiless neighbouring countries.
They are caned in Singapore. Robbed and extorted in Malaysia. Suffer karate-chops by police in South Korea. Some are raped, and sold into slavery.
Others are tortured and killed on rubber plantations in Thailand — just for demanding their pay. The poor (mostly illegal) Burmese are dying to make a living in heartless neighbouring countries.
The sanctions are exacerbating the plight of the Burmese.
Historically, industry, which means jobs, has always been liberating. Commerce gives people hope, and it gives them the means to develop the new ideas and habits that make a democracy work.
This, in a much decent way, will bring on democracy much faster than speeches from soap boxes or pulpits or lecterns.
It’s easy to call for, or support, economic sanctions when your plate is full.
When larger than ever area of the country is aflame, are they also playing the violin?