Yes, Burma is different. I thought this documentary made that point quite well. It's a fascinating look at Burmese culture and society and the conditions that the Burmese people live in. It makes the point that Burma is still very much untouched by the rest of the world, and it includes some fascinating scenes, filmed in spite of the authorities apparently not being very sympathetic to filming. It's obviously very sympathetic to Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese opposition leader who spent most of two decades under house arrest for her political activities, and she's interviewed extensively and provides a lot of reflections on Burmese culture and history. Special attention is given to the problems in education and health care that the country faces.
At the same time, there's some sense of balance to this as well. It's a little bit like "Kimjongilia," for example, except that "Kimjongilia" was obviously opposed to the Kim dynasty in Korea and the movie itself was almost outright appealing for help in getting rid of the dynasty. This film doesn't demonize the authorities (and especially the ruling generals) in the same way. It doesn't portray them in a good light, but it does at least concede that they do what they do because this is how they were raised, and that they really do believe that what they're doing is right for the country. That sort of balanced perspective, even though it's clear that Robert Lieberman, who made the film, is sympathetic to Aung, gives the film greater credibility to me.
For a pretty good portrayal of a very mysterious and still isolated land, this deserves a lot of credit. (8/10)
At the same time, there's some sense of balance to this as well. It's a little bit like "Kimjongilia," for example, except that "Kimjongilia" was obviously opposed to the Kim dynasty in Korea and the movie itself was almost outright appealing for help in getting rid of the dynasty. This film doesn't demonize the authorities (and especially the ruling generals) in the same way. It doesn't portray them in a good light, but it does at least concede that they do what they do because this is how they were raised, and that they really do believe that what they're doing is right for the country. That sort of balanced perspective, even though it's clear that Robert Lieberman, who made the film, is sympathetic to Aung, gives the film greater credibility to me.
For a pretty good portrayal of a very mysterious and still isolated land, this deserves a lot of credit. (8/10)