Sittwe is a 2017 internationally co-produced short documentary film about two teenagers, a Muslim Rohingya girl and a Buddhist boy, in Rakhine State, Myanmar who were separated by conflict in the state.[3] Directed by American filmmaker Jeanne Marie Hallacy,[4] it was banned by Myanmar government censors from holding its premiere at the 5th Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival (HRHDIFF) in Yangon.[5] Despite the ban, some short trailers of the film were screened in Myanmar. The directors of the film aimed to give a voice to the ordinary people involved in the Rakhine conflict and highlight the impact of a lack of education on racism and prejudiced attitudes.[6]
| Sittwe | |
|---|---|
| Burmese | စစ်တွေ |
| Directed by | Jeanne Marie Hallacy |
| Produced by | U Myo Win |
| Cinematography | Sai Kyaw Khaing |
| Edited by | Elizabeth Finlayson |
Production companies | Smile Education and Development Foundation |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 19 minutes |
| Countries | |
| Languages | |
Its first screening was instead held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) in Bangkok on 5 July 2017.[2][5] To give ordinary Americans a better understanding of the human situation in northern Rakhine, the film was screened and promoted amongst American universities, congressional organisations.[6] The film was later screened at the Freedom Film Festival 2017 in Malaysia in early September, where it won the award for Best Southeast Asia Short Documentary.[7] In late 2017 the Myanmar-based Smile Education and Development Foundation sponsored a screening tour of the film in more than twelve major U.S. cities, including New York, Baltimore, Berkeley, and Los Angeles.[8] The tour featured director Hallacy and human rights activist and Smile Foundation founder Myo Win.[9]
Accolades edit
| Award | Ceremony date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Film Festival | September 2017 | Best Southeast Asia Short Documentary | Sittwe | Won |
References edit
- ^ a b Har, Anna (2018). "FreedomFilmFest – A Malaysian Human Rights Documentary Film Festival" (PDF). Human Rights Education in Asia-Pacific. 8: 33. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d ""Sittwe" Screening and Discussion". SEA Junction. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
The Asian Premier is on 5 July at FCCT and the screening at SEA Junction is the day after.
- ^ "Gallery Exhibit Offers Images Geared to Healing Division". Northern Valley Suburbanite. October 4, 2018.
- ^ "A heartwrenching tale". The Nation (Thailand). January 7, 2019.
- ^ a b Corben, Ron (10 July 2017). "Documentary Hopes to Spur Debate on Education in Myanmar's Rakhine State". VOA. Bangkok. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ a b "စစ်တွေ မှတ်တမ်းရုပ်ရှင်" [Sittwe Documentary Film]. VoA Burmese (in Burmese). 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Rakhine Documentary Banned in Myanmar Shown in US". The Irrawaddy. Yangon: Irrawaddy Publishing Group. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ "'Sittwe' film shown to US audiences". Mizzima (Myanmar). November 25, 2017.
- ^ "Activists to educate people in the US and Myanmar about the Rakhine crisis". Mizzima (Myanmar). October 23, 2017.
External links edit
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