The HRHDIFF 2015, led by Human Dignity Film Institute, was held from June 15-19 in Rangoon, and the film festival featured 67 films, both international and national, including films about political, economic, social and cultural rights.
“At this film festival, there were 7 awards, and of them, the Aung San Suu Kyi award is the most prestigious. Of the 67 films, 10 were documentaries. Of the documentaries, our film “ Touching the Fire” won the award,” said Min Than Oo, the director of “Touching the Fire”.
The “Touching the Fire” film was directed by Min Than Oo and produced by Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) in early 2015. After production, DVD copies were widely distributed especially in Mon communities.
“This Human Dignity Film Institute [led the film festival] included topics on human rights, child rights, and women. They would like to films concerned with women rights participating this year,” said Min Than Oo.
The theme of “Touching the Fire” was the diverging views of government officials and local people regarding the coal-fired project proposed by Toyo Thai company. The project would cost 2,700 million USD and have the capability of producing 1200 megawatts electricity production.
“In Mon State, currently, this issue is a very important one. And, this year, I have only shot this one documentary and with this one, I participated in the competition,” said director Min Than Oo.
At the HRHDIFF 2015, “The Look of Silence” by Joshua Oppenheimer received Aung San Suu Kyi Award for the best international documentary. Min Ko Naing Award and Hantharwaddy U Win Tin Award for the best national [short] film went to “The Buffalo Boy” by Mai Ah Nway. March 13 Award for the best national animation went to “I Wanna Go to School” by Nyan Kyal Say; Vaclav Havel Library Award for the best national documentary film went to “ Across” by Phyo Zayar Kyaw, Pyae Zaw Phyo and Kaung Sint. “Wellgyi” by Thu Thu Swe Thein, Htet Aung San, and Kam Khan Sing won the Peter Wintonick Award for the best national student film.
HRHDIFF was established in 2013, and from 2013-2014, it showed more than 120 films, while this year, 2015, it has showed around 67 films.
