Myanmar: Beyond the Surface

ABOUT THE PROJECT: “Myanmar Beyond the Surface” documents how Myanmar / Burma looks like after 60 years of military dictatorship and international isolation. It shows how history has shaped the Myanmar society and tell the story of how the country and its people are changing since the regime started to open up to the world in 2011. The project tells 10 stories from all layers of Myanmar’s society. Different people in different situations but all connected by their common past; a life in a dictatorship. (Per story I show two pictures) STORY 1. AN AUDIENCE WITH A WARLORD Story about a Warlord that has a small but heavily armed army that has a fragile cease fire agreement with the government. STORY 2. FROM BATTLEFIELD TO PARLIEMENT The story of a former Lieutenant-General who has swapped the battlefield for a seat in parliament that is seated in the secretly build ghost-capital of Nay Pyi Taw. STORY 3. LEPROSY, THE MISUNDERSTOOD DISEASE Story of a disease that belongs to the middle ages in most parts of the world but remains a problem in Myanmar where Leprosy colonies are still present. STORY 4. MAN ON A MISSION The story of an opposition politician whose brother got killed by the military regime and now fights for freedom. STORY 5. THE BEAT OF YANGON The story of the upcoming Hip Hop scene Myanmar’s biggest city. STORY 6. THE DICTATORS GRANDSON The story of the grandson of the first dictator of Myanmar who got sentenced the death penalty but now is free and has his own views on the democratic transition. STORY 7. THE FESTIVAL OF THUNDERING LIGHTS The story of a festival where huge home-built balloons carrying enormous amounts of firework are being send to the sky. That if they do not crash into the audience. STORY 8. THE HAPPY FARMER A story about the ordeals of member of the largest group of Myanmar a (rice) farmer. STORY 9 THE OIL FIELDS A story about small oil farmers who manually drill for oil under the relentless Myanmar sun. STORY 10. THE SHELTER A story about Myanmar’s HIV/Aids problem. THE BOOK: The project has been published as a book in 2015. You can order the book at: www.jdebakker.com/myanmar-beyond-the-surface MEDIA ATTENTION This project has been published in Dutch newspapers De Volkskrant & Dagblad Trouw, Vice magazine (international website), exhibited in Linden Museum Stuttgart, featured in Dutch National Radio 1 programs: VPRO Kunststof Radio & Met het Oog op Morgen. PROJECT BLOG www.themyanmarproject.com