Burma had been under the control of the military for over 50 years and even though it had been coming under increased diplomatic pressure to move back to a civilian government, it was still somewhat of a surprise when in 2011 the military junta was dissolved to allow the formation of a civilian government. This in turn resulted in the release from 20 years of house arrest of Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi. Even though now allowed to re-engage with politics there were still severe limitations on what she could do due to the fact that the military had drawn up the new constitution which gave them still significant influence in the political bodies, allowed them to retain control of the military and security forces and barred her from the office of presidency. The documentary carefully outlines the progress of of the democracy movement within Burma and how Aung San Suu Kyi, was able to overcome the political restrictions that the military had put in her way. but the move to democracy and freedom for all is never easy as is demonstrated in last section of the film with the international community came speak out about the ethnic cleansing that was being perpetrated in the country with little or no effort by the new President to stop this. It's a fascinating study into the political compromises that needs to be made to allow for a civilian government, but could have done more in the early stages to set the military in a better context of the oppressiveness of their regime. would you put in context the actions that occur towards the end of the film by the military and the president herself.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
