The critically acclaimed and award-winning documentary Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country is set to premiere on HBO, April 20th at 9:30pm EDT.
Courtesy of HBO
Filmmaker Anders Østergaard, with the help of Burmese VJs (video journalists), was able to capture the chaotic violence and brutality of the oppressive Burmese government and military during what has come to be known as the Saffron Revolution (named for the color of the robes worn by the monks who, along with thousands of others, marched the streets of Burma in nonviolent protest of the devastating policies of the government). As the Burma VJ website states, “The film offers a unique insight into high-risk journalism and dissidence in a police state, while at the same time providing a thorough documentation of the historical and dramatic days of September 2007, when the Buddhist monks started marching.” The footage was shot secretly, at great risk to the VJs, and later smuggled out of the country. The Austin Chronicle calls the film “a masterpiece…Utterly gripping, Burma VJ will rock you to the core…One of the most powerful documentary films I have ever seen, period.”
