In 2015, a period of liberalisation in Myanmar culminated in the country’s first open elections in a quarter of a century. What was initially hailed as a breakthrough grew foreboding when Aung San Suu Kyi, the head of the democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD), was jailed and removed from power following a military coup d’état on 1 February 2021, sparking an ongoing civil war. During her time as perhaps the country’s most important leader, Aung San Suu Kyi faced international criticism, especially for her lack of response to the still-ongoing genocide of the Rohingya people, a Muslim ethnic minority in the majority-Buddhist country.
However, in the view of those interviewed for the short animated documentary Voices of Myanmar, the country’s brief era of fragile democracy was far preferable to the bloodshed, corruption and economic crises that now engulf it. For the film, journalists from the European public service channel ARTE spoke with four unnamed citizens, including an urban graphic designer who has considered leaving her country, and a rural farmer whose life was uprooted when his community faced seemingly indiscriminate attacks by the military junta. The result is a revealing glimpse into how culture, daily life and political instability intersect in this isolated nation, as well as the surprising amount of optimism the interviewees hold for Myanmar’s future, despite their struggles.
