CULTURE

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“Thakinmyo” (“Master”), for instance, was filmed in 1938 to depict the emergence of the Dobama Asiayone (“We Burmans Association”), whose members called themselves thakin (masters) in defiance of the British insistence that the term only be used to refer to colonial authorities. Like so many other Parrot movies, this one was banned for inciting anti-British sentiment.

Of course, Parrot Film Productions was not alone in challenging Burma’s colonial rulers. Myanma Ashwe A1 Film Productions also made movies that dealt with politically sensitive subjects, including a documentary about the 1938 general strike that marked a major turning point in the independence struggle. The film followed Thakin Ba Hein, the then-president of the All Burma Students Union, as he led massive marches by workers in Rangoon. 

Sayar Khint, a director at the British Burma Film Production Company, also made a documentary about the uprising, focusing on the crackdown against protesters and the funeral of University of Rangoon student Aung Kyaw, who was killed by baton-wielding riot police. More than 300,000 people attended the funeral in a dramatic show of solidarity with the students who were leading the push to liberate Burma.

These two films were important testaments to the sacrifices of those who took part in the struggle to end Britain’s domination of Burma, but it was U Sunny’s gift for dramatization that really brought the events of those tumultuous times to life.

Parrot Film Productions came out with a rapid succession of films about the uprising, including “Bo Aung Kyaw” (“Leader Aung Kyaw”), “Yaenanmyay” (“Oil Field”) and “Nan Bat Doke” (“Baton”). “Bo Aung Kyaw” combined footage of actual events with a dramatic portrayal of the short life of its eponymous hero, while “Yaenanmyay” sought to reveal the origins of the 1938 general strike in the miserable lives and harsh treatment of oil field workers in central Burma.

Of the three movies, “Nan Bat Doke” was by far the most controversial. The title alone immediately evoked an image of police brutality—an image that was enhanced in the opening credits by writing the letters in blood from the heads of students who had been beaten. At the first screening of the film, many in the audience started shouting anti-government slogans as this gruesome scene appeared. The authorities demanded that the film be renamed, and so it was later released as “Gonyi Thwe” (“Noble Standards”).

Two of U Sonny’s more memorable films were dedicated to the women who committed themselves to the pro-independence cause. “Thakinma,” about female members of the Dobama Asiayone, and “Yebawma” (“Female Fighter”), focused on the role of women who courageously supported the struggle.

“Yebawma,” filmed in 1940, was especially notable for its role in chastizing Burmese government officials who worked with the colonial authorities. Although the British granted Burma a limited form of self-government in 1937, many ordinary people felt that the Burmese ministers and parliament members were only looking out for their own interests. This prompted U Sunny to invite a number of prominent Burmese officials to watch a screening of “Yebawma,” to show them what it really meant to work for the good of the people.

But U Sunny did not only go after the high and mighty. In “Once More,” for instance, he warned young Burmese about the dangers of complacency, urging university graduates not to spurn professions they deemed “beneath” them. The film shows how Chinese and Indians living in Burma were able to increase their influence over key sectors of the economy because they did not hesitate to take low-status jobs, while Burmese were only interested in high-level civil service positions.

To further encourage young Burmese to make more of their lives, U Sunny also recognized the need for heroes they could look up to. In the 1947 film “Bogyoke” (“General”), Gen Aung San, the leader who had helped Burma to achieve its long-cherished goal of regaining control of its own destiny, was held up as the sort of person that all Burmese, from the lowest to the highest, could admire for his strength of character and high-minded principles.

Sadly, Burma did not realize the dream of real freedom that U Sunny envisioned, in part because of the assassination of Aung San and other leaders capable of guiding the country through the confusion and turmoil that afflicted the war-torn country in the early years of its independence. Instead, Burma was to descend steadily into misery under successive military regimes.

Despite this betrayal of Burma’s hopes, U Sunny’s cinematic legacy lives on as an inspiration to other Burmese filmmakers and artists who dare to give voice to their nation’s political aspirations.