Things finally seem to be looking up in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (formerly known as the Union of Burma): as I write these words, longtime political prisoner and dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been elected to the national Parliament’s lower house. Though Myanmar’s military junta will maintain its overwhelming parliamentary majority, the country will soon be enjoying its first small taste of electoral democracy in half a century.

Generally considered the second most isolated country in the world (North Korea, of course, being number one), Myanmar has been the subject of several recent documentaries, including Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country, and Burma Soldier. While better than nothing, these films were understandably limited in scope due to tight censorship restrictions. … Continue reading »