The setting is Rakhine State, Myanmar, a land of political repression where the majority of the population are Buddhists. The predominantly Muslim Rohingya that make up the rest of the citizenry lived peaceably side-by-side until 2016 when they became the target of an ethnic cleansing campaign by the Burmese military. (The military’s insistence that they burned villages in search of Muslim terrorists is similar to that of a Russian oligarch who attacked a Jewish-run country looking to root out Nazi ideology.) Hla is a midwife and the founder of a medical clinic, the only one Muslims are allowed access to, given the travel ban imposed upon them. She is Buddhist. Nyo Nyo, her apprentice midwife, is Muslim. First time filmmaker Hnin Ei Hlaing had in her grasp a story rife with conflict and drama. Riddle me this: were pixels as pricey as filmstock, would the current crop of digital documentarians be so quick to keep the camera rolling hoping to find a structure somewhere amidst the hours of travelog footage? The most dramatically effective moments come from cell phone footage taken during the revolt. And when all else fails, throw in a montage of children. (Screens as part of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Visit: https://ff.hrw.org/san-diego) (2022) — Scott Marks
This movie is not currently in theaters.