Cloud Princess to head to the City of Angels
By Lwin Mar Htun | Sunday, 18 August 2013
Source: Myanmar Times Interview
The sixth annual Myanmar Film Festival in Los Angeles will be held on September 15.
The event aims to promote Myanmar’s budding filmmakers and their works to a North American audience.
Put on by the Network of Myanmar American Association (NetMAA), a not-for-profit organization founded in early 2006, the film festival is an opportunity to engage with non-Myanmar communities.
“The Myanmar Film Festival not only targets the Burmese community in Los Angeles,” said U Aung Naing, one of the organizers of the event. “We are trying to attract a multi-cultural audience who can appreciate the nuances of our culture.”
“The main objective of the festival is to raise awareness and promote a greater appreciation of cinema by showcasing films that depict diverse perspectives of Burmese culture.”
U Aung Naing said the festival also aims to promote Myanmar filmmakers who are trying to expand their network in North America, helping expose them to the film and media industry outside South East Asia.
“The festival itself does not have a specific theme because we didn’t want to limit what could be entered,” he said.
The festival will feature four documentaries and a drama.
The documentaries to be screened are My Grandfather’s House (directed by Shunn Lei Swe Yee), a story about the home of Thakin Htein Win, one of the founders of Burma’s independence movement; The Clinic (Aung Min, Jeu and The Maw Naing), a story exploring the relationship between a 45-year-old doctor and his clients; Bungkus (Lay Thida), based on a true story about a Chin girl torn between loyalty and love; and Koran and Karate (War War Hlaing), a documentary that looks into Yangon’s Myanmar-Muslim community.
The feature film is Tein Minthamee yek Danaryi (The Legend of the Cloud Princess), directed by Nay Paing.
“The Legend of the Cloud Princess tells the story of two characters, one of whom will be played by the actress Nawarat,” said U Aung Naing. “It reflects the values and identity of the Burmese community and is set against the scenery of Bagan.”
Nawarat says she will leave Yangon on September 10 to attend the film festival.
“I really hope that audiences will take to the film, as I feel like I gave a lot of myself to it,” she said.
She added, “And I hope that I also receive a warm welcome too.”
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