Denmark 2009, 56/85 min, HDA Magic Hour Films Production
by Anders Østergaard
REQUEST A SCREENING Burma VJ
Beyond the occasional news clip from Burma, the acclaimed filmmaker Anders Østergaard, brings us close to Burma’s video journalists who insist on keeping up the flow of news from their closed country despite risking torture and life in jail. Armed with small handycams they make their undercover reportages, smuggle the material out of the country, and broadcast back into Burma via satellite or offered as free usage for international media.”Joshua”, age 27 and one of the undercover VJs, is suddenly thrown into the role as tactical leader of his group of reporters, when Buddhist monks in September 2007 lead a massive uprising. Foreign TV crews are banned from entering the country, so it is left to Joshua and his crew to document the events and establish a lifeline to the surrounding world. It is their footage that keeps the revolution alive on TV screens all over.
As government intelligence agents understand the power of the camera, the VJs soon become their prime target. During the turbulent days of September, Joshua finds himself on an emotional rollercoaster between hope and despair, as he frantically tries to keep track of his reporters in the streets while the great uprising unfolds. With Joshua as the psychological lens, the Burmese condition is made tangible to a global audience so we can understand it, feel it, and smell it.
Oscar® nominated for Best Documentary Feature.
More than 150 festivals worldwide, 47 international Awards (IDFA, Sundance, Grierson, Cinema for Peace)
IDFA (Winner Main & Amnesty Award), Grierson Award (Best Cinema Doc.), CPH:DOX (Winner Main & Amnesty Award), Sundance (Winner World Doc. Editing Award), Cinema Eyes (Best Int. Feature, Editing)
FIFDH (Grand Prix), Boulder (Grand Prize), Helsinki, Göteborg, Barcelona, Colombia, Prague (Special Award), Austin, Thessaloniki (Audience & Amnesty Awards), London, Vilnius, San Francisco (Investigative Documentary Award), Hot Docs (Audience Top Ten), Warszaw (Amnesty Int. Award & Millenium Special Mention), Sydney, New York, SilverDocs, Jerusalem (Special Award), Melbourne, Wellington, Lemesos, Hong Kong, Jeonju, Bodil (Danish Golden Globe), Cinema for Peace (Int. Human Rights Award), Tampa, Damaskus, Auckland, Zagreb (Amnesty Award & Special Mention), Mexico City, Istanbul, Santa Barbara, Moscow, Prague (Special & Student Award), Full Frame (Grand Jury Award, Filmmaker Award & Main Award), Sao Paulo (Winner), Kassel, Movies that Matter (Winner), UK One World Media Award (shortlisted Int. Documentary Award), Robert (Danish Film Academy Award), Monte-Carlo (Special Award), Roos Award (Østergaard & Lense-Møller), Botswana, Stockholm, EDN, München, Telluride, Grimstad, South Africa, Serbia, Denmark, Latvia, Riga, Milano, Reykjavik, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Ourense, Vienna, Leipzig, Budapest, Bratislava, Gdansk, Poland, Novi Sad, Ferrara, , Jakarta, Golden Apricot (Winner), Odense (Best Danish doc), I WILL TELL Festival (Winner), Branchage Jersey (matter doc. Award), Nuremburg (youth prize & Audience Award), Slovenia (Tiangle Muscle Award), Cinema Eye Honor (Outstanding International Feature & Outstanding Achievement in Editing), Berlin, Paris, India, Köln, Geneva, Kiew, Russia, Bahrain, Ecuador, Macedonia, Taiwan, Bolivia, Belgrade, New Caledonia, Beijing, Singapore, Bangkok, Torino, Dresden, Athens, Ankara, Cuba (Best Int. Documentary), Amnesty Media Award UK (Winner)