They Call It Myanmar: Lifting the Curtain

Having lived in Burma for four years, I found the film equally enlightening and disappointing. To the outsider - most of the world - Burma is portrayed in the shortsighted way it is understood in the media: Evil government, beautiful people. To portray Burma in this way is true and real. To focus on this completely is to miss Burma.

The film is honest in the views given by locals (easy to recognize by their accents), in their local context and understandings and without global understandings. The film is dishonest in it's lack of vetting of expatriate views. Truly disappointing, seriously lacking journalistic ethics. The expatriates who speak (easy to recognize by their accents) are ignorant of Burma. The female expatriate's view is overly dramatic, too eager to share "hidden knowledge" of Burma, stilted in her understandings. The male expatriate describing trucks at Kyaihto turning over weekly is ridiculous. Personal friends have traveled to Kyaihto throughout their lives many times, and continue to, without incident. And the idea that westerners and tourists have disappeared into Burmese prisons for filming, and less such crimes, is entirely false.

Burma is an incredible place to visit, and I would encourage you to. Please do so with utmost respect of the Burmese people, if you decide to go. Consider where your money is flowing, and learn humility from these beautifully timid, humble people.