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Deep Dive: Sittwe (2017)

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Sittwe
Sittwe is a short documentary film directed by Jeanne Marie Hallacy that focuses on two teenagers, a Muslim Rohingya girl and a Buddhist boy, living in Rakhine State, Myanmar. The film portrays their lives and the impact of the ongoing conflict in the region that has separated them. The narrative aims to give a voice to ordinary people affected by the Rakhine conflict, emphasizing the consequences of a lack of education on racism and prejudiced attitudes. The film was banned by the Myanmar government from premiering at the 5th Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival in Yangon. Despite this, trailers were screened in Myanmar, and the film had its first screening at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand in Bangkok on July 5, 2017. It was later screened in various American universities and won the Best Southeast Asia Short Documentary award at the Freedom Film Festival 2017 in Malaysia.

Why Watch

  • •See the lives of a Rohingya girl and a Buddhist boy in Myanmar.
  • •Find out why the film was banned in Myanmar.
  • •Meet director Jeanne Marie Hallacy at screenings.

Did You Know

•Sittwe was banned from its premiere at the 5th HRHDIFF in Yangon.
•The film's first screening took place on July 5, 2017, in Bangkok.
•It won the Best Southeast Asia Short Documentary award in September 2017.
•The Smile Education and Development Foundation sponsored a screening tour in over twelve U.S. cities.

Perfect For

Human rights activistsDocumentary film enthusiastsStudents of Asian studies