Myanmar documentary filmmakers honored with awards

Two emerging documentary filmmakers from Myanmar have won awards for their work at a ceremony in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The award seeks to support Myanmar filmmakers impacted by the crackdown on journalism since the military coup in February 2021.

"My Notes to Spring," directed by Zero (pseudonym), was awarded the Jury Prize on Wednesday. "The Watchdog," directed by Eunt Maw Oo, was awarded the People's Choice Award at the The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) Short Docs 2023 Awards.

The two films were selected by an international jury from a lineup of 10 short documentaries.

'My Notes to Spring'

"My Notes to Spring" documents the life of a man injured by homemade land mines meant to protect his family and community in the Sagaing region.

'The Watchdog'

The Watchdog features a collective of pro-democracy activists who monitor pro-military social media channels

Myanmar junta cracks down on press freedom

A large number of Myanmar's journalists and documentary filmmakers fled the country since the military junta overthrew the government. According to data by DVB, 172 media professionals, including journalists and filmmakers,have been arrested by the military rulers. Four journalists have been killed and a further 50 are currently facing trial in prison.

Myanmar currently ranks 173 out of 180 on the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, where 180 is the lowest.

Disclaimer: The DVB award has been supported by DW Akademie

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Myanmar currently ranks 176 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index. That was in 2022; the ranking in 2023 is 173. DW apologizes for the error.