Myanmar in Southeast Asia is one of the least known places in the world, due to the military dictatorship that has isolated the country for the past sixty years. Now that the government is making the transition to democracy, the veil is slowly lifting, as are travel and economic sanctions. In Daybreak in Myanmar, these images of a place once frozen in time are unique and timely.

Photographer Geoffrey Hiller has been documenting the people of Burma since 1987 and has returned several times since the historic opening in 2011 to capture evidence of change, not only images of rallies for Aung San Suu Kyi but the anticipation, hope, and concerns of a nation forgotten by the world. Following his award-winning web documentary from 2000, Burma: Grace Under Pressure, Hiller is publishing this selection of 170 color photographs. They are accompanied by interviews with British journalist Francis Wade, who spoke with several prominent Burmese: political dissident Dr. Ma Thida, historian Dr. Thant Myint U, activist monk U Gambira, author Pascal Khoo Thwe, blogger Nay Phone Latt, and memoirist Ma Thanegi. Their words add depth to the images, covering topics such as native spirits and Buddhism, being arrested for blogging, and growing up in an ethnic village on the border.

Hiller’s work has been published in magazines in the US, Europe, and Japan including Newsweek, Mother Jones, and The New York Times Magazine. His multimedia projects about Vietnam, Eastern Europe, Ghana, Burma, and Brazil have earned recognition from NPR, The Christian Science Monitor, and USA Today.

You and Your Family are Cordially Invited

WHAT:   LECTURE AND BOOK-SIGNING by GEOFFREY HILLER

WHERE:   Monterey Park Library

DATE:     Sunday, November 16, 2014

TIME:      2:00 p.m – 3:15 p.m

With the release of his book Daybreak in Myanmar, he will discuss his approach to street photography in Asia, emphasizing the importance of taking the time to slow down in our frenzied world of mobile photography.