Into the Current: Burma's Political Prisoners, a documentary by Jeanne Hallacy depicting the lives and hardships of prisoners of conscience in Myanmar, will be screened tomorrow night, at 8pm, at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT).
Footage for the 76-minute film was shot secretly inside Myanmar with the help of former prisoner Bo Kyi and an underground team who worked tirelessly, and often at great risk, on behalf of their incarcerated colleagues. Some of the individuals featured in the film, including pro-democracy activists Min Ko Naing and Nilar Thein, have only recently been freed from prison. Many others are still struggling to stay alive in jail.
The documentary has been selected for screening at more than 12 international film festivals in Europe, North America and other parts of the world. In addition, Jeanne Hallacy, who is in the US to attend her film's premiere there, will be commenting via Skype after the FCCT screening on the extraordinary changes going on in Myanmar today.
Panelists taking part in the ensuing discussion will include: Kraisak Choonhavan, a former member of the Thai Senate and long-time critic of the military junta in Myanmar; Bo Kyi, joint general secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners; associate director Santhar Aung, formerly of the Democratic Voice of Burma media organisation (his footage of the 2007 protests led by Buddhist monks was featured in the Oscar-nominated Burma VJ); and Benjamin Zawacki from Amnesty International.
