The Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival taking place in Rangoon this week has cancelled the screening of a documentary dealing with anti-Muslim violence after social media users criticized the film for being too sympathetic to the plight of Myanmar's Muslims.
The documentary, titled “The Open Sky,” is about a woman who visits her Muslim aunt whose house gets burned down during the outburst of anti-Muslim violence in the town of Meikthila in March 2013, which killed more than 40 people and left more than 10,000 people displaced.
Shorty after the documentary was scheduled for screening on Monday at Waziyar Cinema and on Tuesday at Junction Cineplex, criticism of the film began to circulate among some Burmese Facebook users, who claimed that it sympathized with Muslims during the conflict.
Some alleged it was shot with the financial support of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Inflamed lingering Buddhist-Muslim tensions in Rangoon concluded in the films screening to be cancelled.
Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi, the festival founder and director said, “We are not holding the film festival to create conflict. We can’t let any conflict come in the way, so we removed ‘The Open Sky’ from our list,” he said, adding that he received some Facebook messages with obscene language because of the film’s planned screening, but no direct threats.
“I feel really sorry about the decision to remove the film. It hurt the feelings [of the filmmakers], the dignity of the institute and also the dignity of film festival. But there is a possibility that [the film] can bring conflict and now the country is in very sensitive state,” he said.
“All we know is that there is a group that is trying to create conflict in our country. If we can, we should avoid that, so we don’t want to take any risks by showing this film.”
The film was produced by Kyal Yie Lin Six, Lynnsatt New and Phyo Zayar Kyaw of the Human Dignity Film Institute, which is being headed by Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi. The filmmakers could not be reached for comment on the cancellation of their documentary.
“It was filmed according to their ideas. It is one of five films that the Human Dignity Film Institute produced this year after a seven-week workshop,” Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi said of “The Open Sky.”
Myanmar has been experiencing heightened religious tensions since mid-2012, when deadly violence erupted between Buddhists and Muslims in Arakan State, leaving many dead and tens of thousands injured
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