4th EDITION

International Film Heritage Festival

Yangon, 4 – 13 November 2016
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Road To Mandalay

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Road to Mandalay
Zai Jian Wa Cheng
Midi Z
Taiwan, Myanmar – 2016
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Cast: Ko Kai (Guo), Ke-Xi Wu (Lianqing)
Screenplay: Midi Z
Cinematography: Tom Fan
Production: Seashore Image Productions, Flash Forward Entertainment, House on Fire-Bombay, Berlin Film Production, Myanmar Montage Films, Pop Pictures Company Limited
Language: English, Chinese, Thai, Burmese
Duration: 107 min
Color: Color

Synopsis: A rundown truck barrels down the road, transporting its human cargo across the border under cover of night. On board is Guo, a kind and honest young man who doesn’t think of himself as an illegal immigrant, as he has no intention of staying in Thailand. Just out of military service, he has a plan: work for a while in a textile factory, bring the money back to Burma, find the love of his life, and live happily ever after. He certainly does not expect to find the woman of his dreams sitting near him on this very truck. Lianqing is beautiful and resolute, determined to leave poverty behind and build a better, brighter future for herself. But her lack of working papers makes her feel fragile and insecure, vulnerable to exploitation at the mercy of unscrupulous employers. Even though she escapes the borderlands where her virginity is considered a precious commodity, she will find that things are no better in the bustling cities of Thailand. The road ahead of Guo and Lianqing is a difficult one, and they will have to endure terrible hardships if they are to have a life together.

Notes:
In recent years, millions of Burmese migrants crossed their country’s border into Thailand, looking for work and fleeing civil war. A disturbing examination of their experience, the latest film by writer-director Midi Z is a slow-burning contemporary drama that unfolds on screen with the assured strength of a masterpiece. Road to Mandalay is a powerful and tragic love story, shared in an arresting visual style. Chao Te-Yin, better known in film circles as Midi Z, is a Myanmar-born Taiwanese film director. A graduate of the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, his 2014 film Ice Poison was selected as the Taiwanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards. A prolific filmmaker, in short succession he has also directed the features Return to Burma (2011), Poor Folk (2012), as well as the documentaries Jade Miners (2015) and City of Jade (2016). The Road to Mandalay, his most recent feature film, is currently making the festival rounds and has been highly acclaimed by both critics and audiences.