Why are divorced mothers constantly facing domestic abuse in Myanmar? Why do artists in the country still need freedom to express themselves? Why are millions of rural women struggling so much to make ends meet?
To help find the answers to these questions, Turning Tables utilizes music and film to provide excluded youth with a means to voice their present concerns and visions for a better future. And in this feature blogpost, we highlight three videos from their collection which are some of the latest additions in our ongoing work to curate and promote video content from Myanmar.
My Mother is Single (9 mins)
“He was cruel and bad to me, even though I loved him, he didn’t love me.”
‘My Mother is Single’ is a heartfelt documentary which shows how difficult and rewarding a single Mother’s journey is in equal measures. The film tells a personal story of domestic abuse and educates the public about issues affecting the lives of women in Myanmar using video and new media.
Freedom (5 mins)
“Let us ride the waves of freedom together!”
Putting a beat to Myanmar’s recent socio-political reforms, this song for “Freedom” was recorded at the Turning Tables Myanmar Studio in September 2013 and was performed by Mg Linnith, Zalat Phyu and Nay Myo Htun.
One of the notable quotes to the media by singer Zalat Phyu after the release of this song was, “I think right now, the situation is open like 80 percent, but we need 20 percent more. We can sing, but we cannot yet shout.”
The Good Daughter (8 mins)
“Getting married is like going to jail. Except it is worse because you can never get back outside.”
This short documentary highlights the struggles of millions of rural women in Myanmar in caring for their families as bread winners and house wives. ‘The Good Daughter’ was part of the official selection for the Human Rights Human Dignity Film Festival 2014.
Check out more amazing videos from Turning Tables and stay tuned for more films from our other Myanmar content partners in the weeks to come. And if you’re keen to meet, share, and learn from filmmakers such as the ones who made the above videos, apply to join our Southeast Asia Video Camp happening in Myanmar in June 2015!