Going beyond the occasional news clip from Burma, the acclaimed filmmaker Anders Østergaard brings us close to the video journalists who deliver the footage in acclaimed film and Sundance favourite Burma VJ (Filmhouse, Friday 17 – Thursday 23 July).
In 2007, after decades of self-imposed silence, Burma became headline news across the globe when peaceful Buddhist monks led a massive rebellion. More than 100,000 people took to the streets protesting a cruel dictatorship that has held the country hostage for more than 40 years.
Foreign news crews were banned, the internet was shut down, and Burma was closed to the outside world.
The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), aka the Burma VJs, used pocket-sized video cameras to face down death to expose the repressive regime controlling their country.
The screening of Burma VJ will be accompanied by discussions about the issues raised by the film after the following screenings on Friday 17 and Sunday 19 July.
Full details can be found on the Filmhouse website and Burma VJ can be followed on Twitter at @burmavj.
Watch the trailer on YouTube:
Filed under: Film Preview
