Zaw Lwin

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.

Wealthy heir Koko falls in love with ordinary girl Katta and marries her, they are both orphans. During her pregnancy, Katta receives a family heirloom necklace from Koko's aunt. When she visits her grandmother Daw Gyan Bone before giving birth, she discovers her grandmother also owns an identical one. Despite their loving marriage, Katta never returns to Koko. What secret do the matching necklaces reveal about their past?