What makes the difference between documentary and fiction movies? Why fiction pictures are way so much more popular than documentary ones? And, frankly speaking, I find myself watching some kind of sci-fi movie or TV series on regular basis. As the result, you should consider yourself very lucky if you find out that some documentary show is running in your local cinema-hall. For instance the movie that I’m writing about is virtually impossible to watch anywhere but within MMIF program. But despite that all, when you turn your back to the subtitles of a doc-movie and you gaze into people eyes, there is something quite different what you see after a highly dramatic fiction movie. I won’t dare to say that I can read people mind by staring into their eyes, but let’s consider that what I do see – is a reflection of my own state of mind. And that’s exactly what I’m going to tell you about.
But first, let me give you some introduction to the movie (Burma VJ). The film tells a story about events of September, 2007 when Buddhist monks, who are traditionally abstained them-self from participation in political or any other kind of social life, have led the civil protests in Burma. Protagonists of the film are reporters-enthusiasts who, risking own freedom and lives, are working undercover to shoot and deliver the footage about real situation in their own country. Technically speaking, this movie is not documentary, but a docudrama, which means that it is a composition, a mix of documentary shots and professional reconstructions. Nevertheless, this picture has managed to win Grand-prix of one of the most prestigious documentary film festivals - the Amsterdam film festival. And it is known to the first docudrama that managed to do that.
Going back to my impression after screening, I'd like to note that I've been expecting from myself some kind of common worries about injustice and general inequality of people living around the globe. And I've prepared a tested and reliable weapon against those worries - logical implications that clearly show that bothering about this does not lead anywhere, and thus to care about it is not productive and therefore makes no sense. I always do my best to ignore worries like that. Because other way I'm starting to feel myself like a yuppie sitting at the backyard of his house thinking about globalisation, global warming, starving children and other "fates of the world". (Don't get me right - this is all important, but stop thinking about and start doing something or just stop it!) So I wonder: "How does it affect my life?" or "well and what's next? What am I gonna do about it?". It it does not help, I remind myself, once again, that politics (any kind of politics) - in most cases is just splitting the pie, and ordinary people are nothing but the paws in this game. And, after all, any society - it is just a mirror of it's members. Like, for example, in my country (I do originate from Belarus, now living in Russia - so in both of them) - the developed political system of pseudo-democracy and social institute of corruption - thees are all reflections of the internal attitude of citizens.
Back to Burma, here is what sets me thinking. People are sitting on the square, singing prayers for the peace of any life-being and don't go away be the order of the military arrived. And they are getting shot, some of them are getting shot to death. Chaos comes out of no where. No-one can get what's going on and where to run and hide. It's thousands, may be tens of thousands v/s several hundreds of military men. If protestants just get together and take a fight they would win even barehanded - casualties would be numerous, but still... And this is what it takes to get to know how deep is the fear in each and every of us, how deep it is inside of me. I'm thinking : "why don't they have heavy trucks, to brake the cordon?" And I clearly understand that rational thinking simply does not work under the pressure of such fear of loosing your own life.
When I hear about people perishing from bullets on the peaceful demonstration - I'd like to call them fools. But in this case somehow I've realized that this protesters are acting blamelessly. They just cannot stand it anymore and they cannot act the other way. And Burma VJs are not able to act the other way as well - they just go there, shoot the footage and deliver it to the rest of the world. And that's when it stats meaning something to me. Instead of thinking about injustice, I realize the necessity of being blameless. It becomes clear as the sky, that if this world has to become better, then it will happen through blamelessness. And oneself is the one to start with.
But first, let me give you some introduction to the movie (Burma VJ). The film tells a story about events of September, 2007 when Buddhist monks, who are traditionally abstained them-self from participation in political or any other kind of social life, have led the civil protests in Burma. Protagonists of the film are reporters-enthusiasts who, risking own freedom and lives, are working undercover to shoot and deliver the footage about real situation in their own country. Technically speaking, this movie is not documentary, but a docudrama, which means that it is a composition, a mix of documentary shots and professional reconstructions. Nevertheless, this picture has managed to win Grand-prix of one of the most prestigious documentary film festivals - the Amsterdam film festival. And it is known to the first docudrama that managed to do that.
Going back to my impression after screening, I'd like to note that I've been expecting from myself some kind of common worries about injustice and general inequality of people living around the globe. And I've prepared a tested and reliable weapon against those worries - logical implications that clearly show that bothering about this does not lead anywhere, and thus to care about it is not productive and therefore makes no sense. I always do my best to ignore worries like that. Because other way I'm starting to feel myself like a yuppie sitting at the backyard of his house thinking about globalisation, global warming, starving children and other "fates of the world". (Don't get me right - this is all important, but stop thinking about and start doing something or just stop it!) So I wonder: "How does it affect my life?" or "well and what's next? What am I gonna do about it?". It it does not help, I remind myself, once again, that politics (any kind of politics) - in most cases is just splitting the pie, and ordinary people are nothing but the paws in this game. And, after all, any society - it is just a mirror of it's members. Like, for example, in my country (I do originate from Belarus, now living in Russia - so in both of them) - the developed political system of pseudo-democracy and social institute of corruption - thees are all reflections of the internal attitude of citizens.
Back to Burma, here is what sets me thinking. People are sitting on the square, singing prayers for the peace of any life-being and don't go away be the order of the military arrived. And they are getting shot, some of them are getting shot to death. Chaos comes out of no where. No-one can get what's going on and where to run and hide. It's thousands, may be tens of thousands v/s several hundreds of military men. If protestants just get together and take a fight they would win even barehanded - casualties would be numerous, but still... And this is what it takes to get to know how deep is the fear in each and every of us, how deep it is inside of me. I'm thinking : "why don't they have heavy trucks, to brake the cordon?" And I clearly understand that rational thinking simply does not work under the pressure of such fear of loosing your own life.
When I hear about people perishing from bullets on the peaceful demonstration - I'd like to call them fools. But in this case somehow I've realized that this protesters are acting blamelessly. They just cannot stand it anymore and they cannot act the other way. And Burma VJs are not able to act the other way as well - they just go there, shoot the footage and deliver it to the rest of the world. And that's when it stats meaning something to me. Instead of thinking about injustice, I realize the necessity of being blameless. It becomes clear as the sky, that if this world has to become better, then it will happen through blamelessness. And oneself is the one to start with.
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