Myanmar Diaries (2022)

Myanmar Diaries portrays Myanmar after the military coup of February 1, 2021, through cinematic diaries by young members of the opposition: the violence, civil disobedience, and nationwide protests. Mobile-phone footage by citizen journalists shows the military’s brutal and arbitrary actions against demonstrators. Details that seem trivial take on decisive importance: a young woman in a red T-shirt is shot dead because the color is regarded as a sign of protest. Some scenes show filmmakers in their homes. Although they cannot show their faces, their anger and grief over the loss of their friend, their fear of repression, as well as their hope and determination, come through. The spirit of change that had prevailed in the country over the preceding ten years was brutally crushed, but hope has not been lost. The film can be seen as an act of resistance through the medium of cinema.