Burma VJ

One of the true joys of living here in Columbia is the annual True/False Film Festival, a four-day event that brings in some great independently made documentary films. It’s a real treat to have in a place like this and draws people from all over, and the 2009 edition has been no exception.

I saw four very good films today, but the one that hit me the most was Burma VJ. Directed by Anders Østergaard, the film is the story of how a bunch of citizen reporters documented the Saffron Revolution in Burma for the outside world back in 2007 (background) using nothing more than digital video cameras and a network of delivery that could get around the oppressive military regime’s measures against dissent.

The film is unique. Rather than using documentary footage shot by Østergaard and his crew, it strings together actual video shot by the VJs (video journalists) during the time of the conflict. It uses the narrative supplied by “Joshua,” who was the leader of the network, talking about how he was responsible for getting their footage out to sources such as CNN and BBC to raise awareness around the world. Read more