Ghosts on film

Burma changes its tune on the supernatural.

by Jennie Kermode

You would probably expect heavy censorship in a country like Burma, but you might not expect it to manifest the way it does. This month, films about ghosts will be shown in the country's crumbling cinemas for the first time in decades. They have been banned since the Sixties as they were deemed too frightening.

Belief in ghosts and spirits is still commonplace in Burma and factions within its government have tried to discourage superstition, with most films of the past few decades being military dramas or slapstick comedies. Now everything is changing and part of this seems to be down to filmmakers themselves, approaching supernatural themes in new ways. Actress Kunn Sint Naychi told the Myanmar Times today that the film she stars in, Mile Post 26, isn't intended to be scary but is intended to highlight the feelings of victims of crime. In the film, the spirits of a mother and daughter persecute their murderer to ensure he is brought to justice.

While Naychi's serious approach extends to talking about how the crew encountered ghosts during filming, other Burmese filmmakers have approached the subject in a more lighthearted way. A string of short comedies involving mischievous spooks are being circulated online and in the country's thriving semi-legal DVD market.

Share this with others on...
News

Puzzle boxes Star Rosencrans on editing The Dead Thing and A Desert

Looking forward to Berlinale 2025 We anticipate some gems as the festival celebrates its diamond anniversary

Through the lens Moritz Binder on journalism under pressure and September 5

Caught up in conflict Hayder Rothschild Hoozeer and Franz Böhm on the war in Ukraine and Rock, Paper, Scissors

Tilda Swinton receives Golden Bear Star speaks out against 'state-perpetrated and internationally-enabled mass murder'

Anora is the Critics' Choice Surprise winners point to an interesting race ahead

More news and features

We're bringing you all the latest from the Berlinale.



We're looking forward to the Glasgow Film Festival.



We've recently brought you coverage of Sundance, Palm Springs, DOC NYC, the French Film Festival UK, Tallinn Black Nights, the Leeds International Film Festival, Abertoir, the London Korean Film Festival and the Belfast Film Festival.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.

Interact

More competitions coming soon.