Burma VJ: Reporter i et lukket land (2008)

Using smuggled footage, this documentary tells the story of the 2007 protests in Burma by thousands of monks.

Director:

Anders Østergaard

Stars:

George W. Bush, Ko Muang, Aung San Suu Kyi

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 16 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ko Muang	...	Himself
Aung San Suu Kyi	...	Herself

Storyline

Using smuggled footage, this documentary tells the story of the 2007 protests in Burma by thousands of monks.

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Plot Keywords:

monk | burma | fear | arrest | network | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History | News

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

Denmark Sweden Norway UK USA Germany Netherlands Israel Spain Belgium Canada

Language:

Burmese English

Release Date:

9 January 2009 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Burma VJ

Filming Locations:

Burma

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,820, 24 May 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$50,436, 9 August 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kamoli Films,Magic Hour Films ApS,Mediamente

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Narrator: We have do rely on handicamns. But the things we did with theses things could shook up the people of Burma, as well as the people around the world.

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Connections

Featured in 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die: Episode 1 (2011)

User Reviews

In the Court of the Crimson King

Burma VJ is a moving account of people struggling against a brutal dictatorship against all odds. Focusing on the footage taken by underground journalists within Burma / Myanmar during the 2007 protests by Buddhist monks and students. Starting from the protests' mundane origins in a gasoline price hike, it traces the uprising to its tragic conclusion in a crackdown by the military junta.

The film itself is a testament to the importance of the Internet as a tool to combat oppression. Using cell phone cameras, the resistance journalists transmitted events as they happened to the world, creating a spectacle that other countries could not ignore.

Moreover, Burma VJ gives an inside look at what it is like to live in a dictatorial society, where nothing we would recognize as freedom exists. This is a society where police agents regularly commingle with the populace without uniforms, and where being dragged into an unmarked car are genuine possibilities for the average person. In essence, the film gives viewers a peek into the court of the crimson king.

Some reviewers have carped that a few scenes, mainly involving a liaison in Thailand, are reenactments, and that the film is not objective. However, in the face of military brutality by the junta, calls for objectivity seem weak and pusillanimous. Sometimes, direct statements are the best.