This documentary came out earlier this year, so I'm a bit late in getting to it (like I am with most documentaries). The film is an excellent - and rare - view into this insulated country and culture. To my knowledge, it is the only doc of its kind on Burma, or Myanmar if you prefer.
(Strictly speaking, the word Burma is derived from the word Myanmar; they are in fact identical in meaning, referring to the majority culture there. However, words can change meaning and "Burma" now denotes the Burmese people as a whole as well as being the name of the country before it was changed to Myanmar by the military junta in 1989.)
Despite the project being low budget and at times unassembled, the viewer is offered a clear, humane, and quite moving portrait. What I found of equal interest was that the film encourages, intentionally or not, the contemplation of much broader themes concerning humanity as a whole. It inspires empathy.
More locally, I also found myself thinking about the United States. In the film there is discussion of the role of religion, and how Burma's approach to Buddhism dissuades protest and resistance. (Ironically, when there has been demonstrations, it has often been monks carrying them out.) There is a similar phenomenon among Americans.
The reasons are mostly secular, but there is a kind of passivity in the United States, a hesitance to voice dissent. The difference is that Americans are in fact angry - and have much less to push against - but instead grumble under their breath and voice their grievances quietly. The reflex might be to dismiss the Burmese people as being backward, but such judgments usually backfire. We too are unassertive, but the people of Burma seem to be better at it than we are. In a way, they're more authentic in their unassertiveness. Americans are unassertive, yes, but instead stew in their frustrations. And there's nothing authentic about that.
Good film. And good interview footage of Aung San Suu Kyi.
http://www.theycallitmyanmar.com
