Frontier Myanmar, in association with the Embassy of Ireland in Bangkok, brings the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary Burma Soldier to the FCCT. The film is a powerful expose of Myanmar’s military from an insider. It tells the story of Myo Myint who joined the Myanmar army at 17, seeking the security, respect and employment it promised. After losing a limb to a landmine, he turned against the military regime and joined the pro-democracy movement. Combining interviews, archival footage and photographs, much of it smuggled out of the country, Burma Soldier traces Myanmar’s history from independence in 1948 and examines how decades of military rule shaped the country. More than ever, the film’s story remains relevant to understanding Myanmar today.
Narrated by Colin Farrell with music by U2, Burma Soldier won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the United Nations Association Film Festival. It was also nominated for an Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) Award for Best Feature Documentary and nominated for an Emmy.
Variety Magazine said that: “HBO’s documentaries have a way of compelling us to take a look at parts of the world the rest of the media tends to forget... The strongest elements come from Myo Myint first-person accounts of the horrors he witnessed.”
Following the film, a panel of experts will discuss the movie, and how civil war and military rule have affected Myanmar and undermined the ability of different factions in the country to reconcile, compromise and resolve problems.
Join us for a thought-provoking discussion with:
Thu Thu Aung, editor-in-chief at Frontier Myanmar;
Kyaw Kyaw, researcher, Myanmar Defence and Security Institute, medical doctor, former Myanmar military officer;
Agnes Sarah, counselling psychologist from Myanmar specialising in trauma;
Nic Dunlop, co-director of Burma Soldier and features editor at Frontier Myanmar.
