AUNG SAN SUU KYI PRIZE AWARDED TO TOUCHING THE FIRE DOCUMENTARY

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A STILL FROM “THE LOOK OF SILENCE” PHOTO: www.npr.org


The Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival (HRHDIFF) was established in the year 2013 in order to encourage film and documentary makers and to acknowledge and honor excellence in this field. In its inaugural year and the subsequent year 2014 it showcased over 120 films. This year, it has already shown more than 70 films and has also given away awards to talented film makers. The event was organized from June 15 to June 19 and a total of seven awards were given away.

The Aung San Suu Kyi Prize is considered as the most prestigious HRHDIFF award and this year it was awarded to a documentary named ‘Touching the Fire’. This documentary was produced by Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) and directed by Min Than Oo. It was one of the 10 documentaries shown at the festival this year and it dealt in-depth with the difference between the opinion of general people and the views of the government with regards to a coal-fired power plant project proposed by a company named Toyo Thai.

Other films which were successful in bagging awards this year include:

1. The Look of Silence by Joshua Oppenheimer which won the Aung San Suu Kyi Award for the best international documentary

2. I Wanna Go to School by Nyan Kyal Say, which won the March 13 Award for best national animation

3.Wellgyi by Thu Thu Swe Thein, Htet Aung San, and Kam Khan Sing, which won the Peter Wintonick Award for the best national student film

4.The Buffalo Boy by Mai Ah Nway, which won the Min Ko Naing and Hantharwaddy U Win Tin Award for the best national short film

5.Across by Phyo Zayar Kyaw, Pyae Zaw Phyo and Kaung Sint, which won the Vaclav Havel Library Award for the best national documentary film