Newsletter

February 3, 2023

Cinemata puts a spotlight on the film screening Myanmar Film Nights, dedicated to spreading awareness and promoting discussions on the plight of the people of Myanmar two years since the 2021 coup. This edition also highlights films that bravely expose unsustainable labour and agrarian practices in the Philippines, as well as films that speak about forest preservation and education in Cambodia.

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FILM SCREENING COMMEMORATING THE MYANMAR COUP

Myanmar Film Nights: 1st February and Onward, Until the People Win

In solidarity with the people of Myanmar, Cinemata is promoting Myanmar Film Nights, a film screening and cultural event that seeks to explore the narratives of different voices in the country. Organised by the Spirit in Education Movement, the screening highlights the voices of the people of Myanmar and challenges communities to pause, reflect, understand, and create change with care and compassion. The free event will run from February 4 to 5, 2023 at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Chiang Mai University in Thailand.

Myanmar Film Nights coincides with the second anniversary of the February 2021 military coup, the latest development in the country's long history of conflict and the people's continuing struggle against the military dictatorship. Since the junta seized power, people of all genders, ages, and racial groups have been bravely resisting the regime despite being subjected to arrests, imprisonment, and other human rights violations.

Two years on, the people of Myanmar continue to fight to protect their rights, liberty, and dignity as they aspire for a better life in a country that they are rebuilding together.

Organiser: Spirit in Education Movement
Countries: Myanmar, Thailand

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FEATURED FILMS

'No Backing Down'

The freedoms to associate and to bargain collectively are fundamental rights. But in the Philippines, labour leaders are killed and unions red-tagged.

The International Labour Organization launched a four-day High-Level Tripartite Mission to investigate labour rights violations and demand accountability from the government. Through the painstaking work of forging unities among different groups, labour groups from various formations are determined to fight for workers' rights to organise.

Producer: Mayday Multimedia
Country: Philippines

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'Inani na Utang (A Grim Harvest)'

Skyrocketing prices of onions are stoking public anger in the Philippines, but farmers also bear the brunt of the cost. Merlita, an onion farmer for over 30 years, has had to deal with debt of over half a million pesos, unsustainable farming conditions, and the suicide of her husband brought about by depression.

Director: Film Weekly
Country: Philippines

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FILMS FROM THE SUNFLOWER FILM ORGANIZATION 

In partnership with Sunflower Film Organization, Cinemata will showcase 11 documentaries on health and environmental issues produced by indigenous Cambodian youth from January to March 2023.

Read more here.

'Hope’ 

Tao Chiva quits her studies and gets married at an early age. Kroy Krim finishes high school but drops out of pursuing higher education. Both from the Tumpoun indigenous group in Cambodia, Chiva and Krim want to finish their studies, but poverty and limited resources led them down different paths.

In this short documentary, learn more about the factors contributing to the lack of access to education among indigenous communities in Cambodia.

Producer: Sunflower Film Organization
Country: Cambodia

WATCH THE FILM

'Our Forest, Our Resources'

Prey Lang is the last natural habitat in Cambodia. As indigenous communities work to protect and preserve the forest, they also face threats and dangers from illegal loggers and wild animals.

Producer: Sunflower Film Organization
Country: Cambodia

WATCH THE FILM