Burma’s Peacock Film Festival features three films showing the lives and stories of people living in Burma (or Myamnar), a country devastated by conflict after a military coup in 2021 led to the junta taking charge.
The junta has been condemned internationally for war crimes including the use of child soldiers and the detainment of toddlers and has been fighting various groups including the previously elected government which now operates in exile on the border of Thailand.
It is no easy feat to make a film showcasing the struggles in Burma, and raw footage was smuggled out of the country before being compiled in a safer location.
The festival is run through the Democratic Voice of Burma, a television station in exile, who put out an open call for Burmese film-makers to send in footage to be shown, alongside training civilian journalists to record on-the-ground footage and help smuggle out information.
Virginia Henderson and Alan and Yvonne Wilkinson are organising the Gore event.
Henderson is deeply invested in the conflict and the people of Burma, having lived, studied, and published two books of oral histories detailing their lives and society.
Donations raised from the free event will help to produce more films and also support an orphanage in Yangon.
She said the event was not to be missed — with provocative and moving documentaries made in spite of the dangers.
‘‘These films are made in Burma under incredibly difficult circumstances, telling a huge range of stories across a country at war, a war that nobody knows about.
‘‘The stories are incredibly powerful. The fact they even exist is a miracle in itself. Even getting the footage out is really challenging, getting camera shots, staying safe,’’ she said.
Henderson said it was not easy to pick just three films to be showcased in Gore as every story was important, however the film festival had a trio to show a broad range of Burmese stories.
Middle Land of the Displaced showcases a Burmese family’s struggle to survive after a military attack on their village forced them to flee to a sandbank in a river.
1000 Souls, 200 Days reveals life in an active war zone, with the stories of four people living under a 200-day siege by the military, which included residents being used as human shields by the regime.
Melody of Hope captures what is worth protecting amongst all the chaos, as refugee children chase dreams of creating music as missiles and conflict erupt continuously around them.
Even in a time of seemingly endless conflict, Henderson said it was important to stay grounded.
‘‘I think when you see these films that come out of [Burma], you can appreciate people’s resilience, it is phenomenal. They’re so strong.
‘‘You see the stories and you get a sense of the commitment to survival and peace, it just grabs you. The films are very relatable as are ordinary people’s stories.
‘‘The power of the films is like the power of these community events, they travel far, reach people and move them to look outside themselves, consider others,’’ she said.
The film festival will be held at the Calvin Community Church event on Sunday, April 12, from 1.30pm.
