Burma VJ
84 minutes
Burma VJ was nominated for a 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary and has received over 40 international awards.

In September of 2007, the Buddhist monks in Burma started marching in a show of defiance. Rising to meet their example, courageous young citizens of Burma lived the essence of journalism by risking torture and life in jail in order to document the plight of the monks and keep up the flow of news from their closed country.

"A masterpiece... Utterly gripping, Burma VJ will rock you to the core... one of the most powerful documentary films I have ever seen, period." ―
The Austin Chronicle		 "Burma VJ is filmmaking at its most fearless... a suspenseful, harrowing account." ―
The Los Angeles Times

Armed with small handycams the Burma VJs stopped at nothing to tell their stories from the streets of Rangoon. Their material was smuggled out of the country, broadcast back into Burma via satellite and offered as free usage for international media. Now for the very first time, their individual images have been put together to tell a much bigger story.

That story is about the historical and dramatic days of September 2007, when the Buddhist monks felt they could no longer remain secluded and removed from the ways of society. By leaving their monasteries and embracing the problems of their modern world, the monks became an example of engaged Buddhism and an inspiration to others who saw them as a galvanizing force.

Driven by a compulsive instinct to shoot what they witnessed, these Burma VJs found themselves turned into freedom fighters. This film by acclaimed filmmaker, Anders Østergaard, offers a unique insight into high-risk journalism and dissidence in a police state.
Saturday, June 19 6:30 PM Katzen Arts Center Tickets