Saffron Tuesday – UK Premiere of Burma VJ

Armed with pocket-sized video cameras, a tenacious band of Burmese reporters face down death to expose the repressive regime controlling their country.

Compiled from the shaky handheld footage, acclaimed filmmaker Anders Ostergaard’s BURMA VJ pulls us into the heat of the moment as the Video-Journalists themselves become the target of the Burmese government. The film plays like a thriller, and is all the more scary because it is real. Read Time Out’s five star review.

Tuesday (14 July) sees the “Saffron Premiere” of BURMA VJ: REPORTING FROM A CLOSED COUNTRY with a simultaneous broadcast of the film followed by a satellite Q&A from BAFTA organised by The Co-operative and UK film distributor Dogwoof.

“Saffron Premiere” is so named after the distinctive orange robes of the Burmese monks and cinema goers next Tuesday are encouraged to wear orange to symbolise their support for the oppressed people of Burma.

The film will be compered by Paul Monaghan Head of Social Goals and Sustainability at The Co-operative and introduced by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. Prior to the start of the film, the screening will be blessed by a group of Burmese monks, and the after the screening there will be a question and answer session with a panel that will include the film’s director Anders Østergaard, a member of the Democratic Voice of Burma (a VJ from the film), and a representative of The Burma Campaign UK.

Tying in with BURMA VJ, Ebury Press are offering 25% off Aung Sun Suu Kyi’s The Voice of Hope. Visit their website and add BURMA at the checkout.

BURMA VJ is a Picturehouse DOC – for cinema listings and more information visit the Picturehouse DOCs page.