Myanmar topical drama “MA – Cry of Silence”, which will premiere in the main competition of the Busan Festival, has been selected by Franco-Japanese sales company Alpha Violet.
As Myanmar’s civil war enters its third year, the film follows the story of My Thet, a young Burmese woman who works in a garment factory in Yangon. For the past two months, wages have not been paid, and a group of workers, led by a young woman, Nyein Nyein, organize to demand their wages. Although My Thet, whose family disappeared during previous uprisings, is reluctant to join the strike due to the state of emergency.
The film is the second feature film directed by Maw Naing, who made his directorial debut in 2014 with The Monk. Maw Naing studied filmmaking at Yangon Film School in 2005 and at FAMU Prague in 2008. He lives and works in Myanmar, and is also a poet and artist.
The film is a co-production between Myanmar, Singapore, France, Norway, South Korea and Qatar, produced by Mao Naing (One Point Zero) and screenwriter Oh Young Jung (Plus Point One). Co-producers include Jeremy Chua (Potocol, Singapore), Charlotte Guinnen (Massala), Marie Vogelstein Legereid, Ingrid Lyle Haughton, Linda Bolstad Strunen (DUO film), and Jean-Baptiste Bailly-Maitre (Alpha Violet Production).
Credit also goes to director of cinematography Tin Win Maing, line producer Aung Min So, and sound editor and sound designer Matthew Varnarer.
The Busan International Film Festival revealed its selections for its New Currents and Jiseok competition sections earlier this week. The full lineup will be revealed on Tuesday. The festival runs from October 2 to 11.
