The Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) was the scene of a remarkable screening on Wednesday afternoon. Cry of Silencea poignant film in official competition, held the audience at the Palais des Congrès in suspense.
Before the screening, the film’s team shared a behind-the-scenes look at its creation, revealing the many challenges faced due to Myanmar’s volatile political situation. One of the producers revealed a surprising anecdote: the film rushes had to be exfiltrated from Myanmar using a diplomatic bag to be edited in France.
This subterfuge was essential to escape censorship and strict state controls. Today, the director, The Maw Naing, is out of danger. With emotion, he explained that Cry of Silence is “ a desperate cry addressed to the international community, aimed at drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis raging in [son] pays natal ».
Made in a context of political turbulence, this feature film skillfully mixes fiction and reality. Through the story of women facing repression, the film denounces attacks on freedom of expression and human rights. Its universal reach is amplified by international collaborations, involving studios in Norway, South Korea, Singapore and France.
In his second feature film, The Maw Naing tells the story of Mi-Thet, a young Burmese worker. The film follows his journey and that of his comrades, who fight daily against oppression and injustice. A strike breaks out when the workers, deprived of wages for two months, decide to demand their rights. This mobilization highlights deep solidarity between workers, as well as a collective quest for dignity.
At the heart of the story, Mi-Thet transforms into a figure of resilience. Faced with contemporary violence and the wounds of a traumatic past, she embodies the silent but determined struggle of many oppressed women.
The action of Cry of Silence takes place in Yangon in 2022, in the midst of political instability. Mi-Thet, from a remote village, works in a textile factory in town. When a group of strikers is brutally attacked, the violence awakens buried and terrifying memories in her. Through this intimate story, the film illuminates the realities of a people prey to injustice, while resonating with universal struggles for fundamental rights.
Previewed at prestigious festivals such as Busan and Dharamshala, Cry of Silence garnered mostly laudatory reviews, praising its narrative audacity and political commitment.
Born in 1971 in Myanmar, The Maw Naing is one of the rare Burmese filmmakers to have established himself on the international scene. A graduate of the Yangon Film School and FAMU in Prague, he is also a poet and artist. In 2014, he directed The Monk, his first feature film, screened in more than 45 festivals around the world and winner of several awards, including the prestigious NETPAC Award.
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