Juror
Thaiddhi
[Juror’s Statement]
I first became interested in cinema around 2005, and documentary films immediately drew me in. In a country where truth is often distorted by those in power and censorship silences many voices, documentary became a way to observe, connect, and share real stories.
I began as a cinematographer, traveling to remote areas and learning about lives very different from my own. Time moved slowly—we observed patiently—and through this, I came to understand the deeper social and political realities around us.
After 2010, as Myanmar opened up, faster internet and growing creative freedom brought new opportunities. My wife Thu Thu Shein and I co-founded the Wathann Film Festival in Yangon, showcasing short fiction, documentary, and experimental films. It was an inspiring time for filmmakers.
But after the military coup in 2021, everything changed. Freedom vanished. Many festivals stopped. Yet documentary filmmaking became even more vital—a tool for resistance, remembrance, and survival.
Some of my closest fellow filmmakers are now in exile, imprisoned, or have passed away. I believe they would be proud—or perhaps even a little envious—that I’ve been invited to Yamagata. That is why I have brought one of their films with me, so their voices and spirit can continue to live on.
Maybe, in some other universe, we will sit together again, share a drink, and talk about films.
Filmmaker from Yangon, Myanmar. He studied filmmaking at FAMU – The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague – and at the University of Arts and Culture, Yangon. In 2011, he co-founded the Wathann Film Festival, Myanmar’s first film festival. In 2013, he co-founded Third Floor Film Production, a company dedicated to the development and production of independent cinema in Myanmar. Active both behind the camera and in production, he continues working as a filmmaker in Myanmar.
Thaiddhi Shorts
The City of Bougainvillea
- MYANMAR / 2023 / Burmese / Color / DCP / 15 min
Director, Photography: Thaiddhi
Editing: Emily Swe
Sound Design: Eaiddhi
Cast: Wutt Yee Kyaw, Htet Aung Lin
Executive Producer: Keiko Sei
Producer, Source: Thu Thu Shein
A woman is determined to find the truth and seek justice for her fiancé, who mysteriously fell to his death from a building.
Dear Young Lady, a Sheet of Record
- MYANMAR / 2011 / Burmese / B&W / DCP / 3 min
Directors: Thaiddhi, Thu Thu Shein
Inspired by: “Dear Young Lady, a Sheet of Record” poem by Aung Cheimt
Source: Thu Thu Shein
In 2011, Aung San Suu Kyi (the “Lady”), was released from house arrest, and the country saw hope for a path toward democratization. This work was inspired by the poem of the same name by Aung Cheimt.