The Embassy of Ireland in Thailand, in partnership with Frontier Myanmar, presents the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary Burma Soldier at the FCCT.
Burma Soldier is a powerful exposé of Myanmar’s military from the perspective of an insider. The film tells the story of Myo Myint, who joined the Myanmar army at the age of 17, drawn by the security, respect and employment it promised. After losing a limb in a landmine explosion, 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 have shaped the country. More relevant than ever, the film offers valuable insight into understanding Myanmar today.
The New York Times said the “documentary shows dissent in Myanmar military ... In quiet and measured tones in the film, broken at one point by tears, Mr Myo Myint describes his journey…” And Variety said:“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 Cho’s first-person accounts of the horrors he witnessed.”
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.
The Ambassador of Ireland to Thailand, Nora Delaney, will deliver opening remarks before the screening of the film.
And after it is screened, there will be a thought-provoking discussion on how decades of civil war and military rule have shaped Myanmar’s society, affecting its ability to reconcile, compromise and solve problems, and how battlefield experience has influenced the worldview of the military, featuring:
Kyaw Kyaw, researcher at the Myanmar Defence and Security Institute, medical doctor, and former Myanmar Military officer;
Agnes Mary, counselling psychologist specialising in trauma;
Nic Dunlop, co-director of Burma Soldier and features editor, Frontier Myanmar;
Moderated by Thu Thu Aung, editor-in-chief, Frontier Myanmar.
Members and non-members who wish to attend are kindly requested to RSVP in advance by emailing members@frontiermyanmar.net.
