The Oldenburg Film Festival, Germany’s leading independent film event, is paying tribute to dissident filmmakers Na Gyi and Paing Phyo Thu this year.
The Myanmar director and actress have been in hiding for more than three years after being targeted by the country’s ruling junta after speaking out against the February 1, 2021 military coup.
Oldenburg screens Na Gyi’s film at 2021 film festival, focusing on the couple and their plight What happened to the wolf?starring Paing Phyo Thu, world premiere. The film, which tells a gay love story between two terminally ill women (played by Paing and Eaidra Kyaw Zin), was not overtly political, but its LBGTQ+ storyline drew the ire of the military junta. What happened to the wolf? It was submitted to film festivals after the coup but before the filmmakers went into hiding. The film’s trailer became an instant hit on Oldenburg’s Facebook page, with more than 1 million views. Eaidra won the festival’s Seymour Cassel Award for Best Actress, but was imprisoned in Myanmar for her role in protests and was unable to accept the award in person.
Before the coup, Na and Thu were the “it couple” of Myanmar’s film industry. That was one of the most acclaimed directors in the country. Phan is a Myanmar Academy Award winner and one of the screen’s most famous stars.
After the military coup, they took to the streets to protest. Photo of Paing Phyo Thu raising a three-finger salute – a symbol of defiance hunger games Movies – viral. On April 3, the military government issued arrest warrants for them, accusing the couple of “taking advantage of their popularity” to encourage civil servants to participate in the protests.
Facing indefinite imprisonment and torture, the couple chose to hide in a secret location in a nearby country and remain there. But they are determined to continue their opposition to the military junta. “There is no turning back,” Pan said in the statement. “We decided we were going to do this and we were going to fight to the end.” The filmmaker went into hiding and co-founded Artists Asylum to support exiled Burmese artists.
Oldenburg’s tribute to Na Gyi and Paing Phyo Thu includes What happened to the wolf? and the 2019s ricetheir first feature film collaboration. Adapted from the famous Burmese novel by Ki Aye, rice The story is set in the 1940s and stars Paing as a carefree young woman dying of tuberculosis. The film was a hit locally and at the box office. Oldenburg will also screen three of Na’s short films starring Paing: guilty, it’s our turnand my lost kingdom. All tribute screenings will be free to Oldenburg audiences with donations to the Artists Shelter.
Oldenburg also announced Tuesday several of this year’s competition films, which will be screened during the 2024 event from September 11 to 14. Highlights include Quentin Dupieux’s meta-cinematic comedy act 2premiered in Cannes; Locarno entry telegraph From Portuguese writer Edgar Pêra; and Vincent Glashow BangbangTribeca Champions , stars Tim Blake Nelson as a former boxer obsessed with righting the sins of his past. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Stars will be in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New Worldwho would reprise his role as Samuel Sterns in the 2008 film incredible hulk.
This year’s Oldenburg world premieres include Flying very steeplya German drama directed by Martina Schöne-Radunsk and Lana Cooper, and jamesis a dark comedy from Canadian filmmaker Max Train.
Haramatar Elektrastarring Oscar-nominated Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), Abigail Cowan (stranger things) and Jack Farthing (spencer), will have its German premiere in the Oldenburg Competition. Neira Al Khaja’s threeA psychological drama set in the United Arab Emirates will celebrate its European premiere at the festival.
Other productions in the 2024 Oldenburg Competition include family drama baby brother British director Michael J. Lang; horror thriller from Mitzi Peirone st clairSaralisa Worm at the end of the truthTV series starring German star Maria Furtwängler as a fringe surgeon, and $$$is the debut feature of American director Jack Remington, which combines real documentary footage with guerrilla filming to capture the underground scene of New York.
