San San Aye

Made under the Burmese dictatorship, Maung Wanna’s debut feature tells a story of Sein Lin, the drummer for a traditional dance theatre group in Rangoon, who falls in love with beautiful dancer Khin San. When she leaves the group to pursue a career as a film actress, he gives her a small figure as a keepsake, a symbol of traditional theatre. He tells her to return it only when she is certain she wants to stay in film. The dancer’s independence in choosing to become a film actress breaks with cultural tradition, as does Sein Lin’s performance in a jazz club, symbolising the colonial influence.

Win Oo is the youngest of six brothers. Before his father died, he told him to visit his older brothers’ homes and observe their wives before deciding to marry.

The story follows Thein Mya, a young Burmese woman who abandoned the human society and became a Buddhist nun in the end; based on the popular novel Ma Thudamasari written by Moe Moe (Inya).