Races in the Revolution
In Myanmar, a multi-ethnic nation, deep-rooted discrimination based on religion and ethnicity persists. The Myanmar military, which staged the coup, has exploited these hidden prejudices within people's hearts to divide the population. Even within the resistance forces opposing the dictatorship, such discrimination remains deeply entrenched. These interviews shed light on the challenges that must be overcome to restore a peaceful Myanmar.
Song Behind Bars
A poignant yet powerful song echoed from the women’s cells of Myanmar’s Insein Prison. The women, unjustly arrested by the coup military, sang to uplift their spirits. This song soon spread to prisons across Myanmar. Su Su Htein, who created the song, continues to sing for her comrades still imprisoned, even after her own release.
Unbroken Spirit
Zin T
The Karenni Christian community living in the Eastern Myanmar has suffered persecution by the Myanmar military for many years. Since the coup, the military's attacks on ethnic minorities have become increasingly brutal. Why does the Myanmar military target religious sites? Through interviews with military personnel, we hear the voices of the Karenni people offering their prayers.
Women who participated in the protest demonstrations immediately after the coup each went their separate ways afterward. A teenage girl who once dreamed of becoming a fashion model now works as an instructor for the resistance forces. The anguish of a former teacher who fled across the border. A female journalist continues to report the news from the liberated areas of Myanmar. The film tells the stories of these six women.
CDM Family
Kaung Htet
Gigi, whose husband is a civil servant, had a peaceful life in her home country. Life had completely changed forever after the military coup in 2021. Her husband joined the CDM (Disobedience Movement) and fought against the military dictatorship. One day, plain-clothed police visited their home, and the family, sensing danger, left Myanmar to Thailand. What awaited them there was unfair treatment from the Thai police.
Women in Revolution
Aye Ma Ma Myo, who was active as a member of parliament in Myanmar, was forced to flee the country due to the military coup occurred in 2021. When she fled to a liberated area in the mountains and began working, she tackles on the shortage of food supplies.
BLANK
Young people in Myanmar persist in protesting against the military coup. Nyi Min Thu, a student activist, was one of them. Despite knowing the dangers involved, his parents couldn't stop him, having been activists themselves in their youth. How will they cope with the loss of their son? They remember their beloved son.
Mommy the Journalist
A pregnant woman deftly evaded the military council's pursuit while reporting in the midst of a revolution. Just 45 days after childbirth, she left home and sought refuge while continuing to deliver pivotal news to the public. Her story includes the challenging passage through a forest with her newborn and the arduous crossing of the Thaung Yin River. It emphasizes the importance of family safety and the unyielding pursuit of truth.
Spring
Young people who took up arms to resist the oppression after the 2021 military coup. The resistance movement called the "Spring Revolution" has continued for over two years with the number of victims only increasing. A music video by Kelvin Thein dedicated to young people who gave their lives for their beliefs.
Resilience CDM
The former government workers who joined CDM and protested against the coup fled to the border areas. More than two years after the military coup, it became critical for people CDM to find job opportunities to make their living. Mother's Arm is an organisation that promotes the acquisition of vocational skills for these people. The film presented the handicraft-making work of the CDMs working in Mothers' Arm.
Mocha and the Rohingya
To reveal the shocking impact of the Cyclone Mocha that has attacked Myanmar in May 2023, this film aims to shed light on the plight of Rohingya refugees, who endured the harshest consequences of the disaster. It seeks to raise global awareness about the systematic genocide perpetrated by the Myanmar military against the Rohingya community.
Refugee Fishermen
A man who fled with his family to India used what little money he had to buy a fishing net. He set the nets in the river to catch fish for survival. In Chin State, western Myanmar, a massive military crackdown occurred, and many houses and villages were burned down. He and his family, who were farmers, were forced to abandon their village, leaving behind their livestock and homes. One fisherman’s voice speaks to the urgency of the situation.
The School Between Battles
The Black Panther column of the PDF (People Defence Force) fighting against the Myanmar military has built a school in the village. The soldiers work with teachers who have joined the CDM (Civil Disobedience Movement). Young children there tell stories of how their villages were attacked by the army. They are struggling to prepare food and stationery for their children and ensure their safety on the way to school.
A The village of Lat Yet Gone where a man calls himself A MON was bombed by fighter jets. Two years after the coup, A MON reads a poem. The poem entitled 'Dug a Hole with Hand' tells in words the tragedy of the coup d'état and the many feelings it brought to his village.
A Young Revolutionary Teacher
'New Myanmar Education' is a school for children who have no access to education due to the military coup. Teachers provide online classes for over 3,000 secondary and high school students. The young teacher who founded the school, Thet Htar Maung Maung Nyein was one of the participants in the revolution to gain the freedom. The film tells the story of one teacher's fight for the children of the future.
Many of those who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) have been forced to live away from Myanmar to escape the military. With her two daughters, she began life in neighbouring Thailand. What will young daughters think when they leave Myanmar, where they are familiar with their school and friends? This short documentary listens to the voices of a family of three, a mother and her daughters.
Music video for 'Fascist Elections' by the musician, Novem Htoo. The Myanmar military controls various political systems, including elections or the legal system in the violent and unjust way. The MV shows scenes that remind us of the 'facade election' planned by the Myanmar junta in August 2023. With a heavy soundtrack, the song states: 'Use your brains and be prepared!' Stand by the citizens!" The powerful messages come through.
One day, as I opened the door to my familiar home, an unexpected sight was in front of me. The room lay in ruins, and panic immediately overwhelmed me, urging me to flee. However, in that very moment, a pair of hands reached out to me, offering salvation－ This short animated film draws inspiration from the true experience of an individual who discovered hope amid the depths of despair during a coup d'état.
After the coup, the intense fighting in Karen State began with the Lay Kay Kaw. Now, there are about 500,000 refugees in the 7 districts controlled by the Karen National Union (KNU). Most of these refugees are women and children. The director has been in Lay Kay Kaw since the beginning of the battle, and he had to live in two refugee camps for 13 days to avoid the war.
After the coup, a female teacher participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and faced oppression from the military council. She sustained a gunshot wound to her leg during a protest. This documentary, through the practice of transitional justice, aims to give voice to the narratives that can bring about justice in society.
Teacher May
After the coup, many young people in Myanmar have taken up arms in the mountains and continued their fight to stop violence by the military. BPLA (Burma People's Liberation Army) is one of the armed groups formed by these young people. May, a trainer, works with those who have fled oppression by the junta. What is her reason for leaving her family and continuing to fight? What hope does she have for the future?
Lay Kay Kaw Paris
Lay Kay Kaw was built as a symbol of peace of the ceasefire with assistance from Japan. The city was young and beautiful. After the coup, the city became a haven for the democratic activists, but was invaded and destroyed by the military council in December, 2021. This music video is for the city, as beautiful as Parris, and for our hope of reconstruction of the city as Parris after would war Ⅱ.
A Young Man Who Never Give Up
Linn Maung is a young guy, who joined the peaceful protests soon after the military coup. Due to the horrendous crimes that junta forces committed against the peaceful protesters, he had to run into the jungle to fight back. He, this time, realized that it is essential to have guns to win the fights with the junta forces on the front line. He decided to raise funds by selling his art to provide the necessary support to his comrades.
Shattered Dreams
Ko Saw Tun, Ma Thin Zar and their family reached Lay Kay Kaw in 2019 because of the childrens’ education. They got a plot of land from Lay Kay Kaw administration office and built their house themself. At that time, the town was not perfect but they lived there and they were living their dreams.The family had to run from Lay Kay Kaw. How are they living now?
The Red, a woman detained by military intelligence, struggles to survive atrocities and sexual abuse under brutal interrogation after the military coup in Burma. The film tells the story of a woman enduring days of hell in detention. Despite the torture, she stands for the recovery of freedom, justice, and equality. This film won first prize in 2022 at the Film Competition for the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
