Burma’s greatest living comic, Zarganar, is the subject of a free film screening sponsored by the British High Commission at Reading Cinema, Wellington, on Friday December 10.

The film called “This Prison Where I live” is the story of two men, Zarganar and the German comedian Michael Mittermeier . Two men joined by comedy and separated by repression.

Director Rex Bloomstein, who was filming a documentary about freedom of expression in Burma in 2007, spent two days secretly filming Zarganar. At that time, the comedian had been banned from talking to any foreign media, writing journals and to even mention his name, was totally forbidden.

The footage was not used until two years later when he was jailed for his outspoken criticism of the Burmese Governments failure to respond to Cyclone Nargis Zarganar had led his own private effort to deliver aid to the victims. He was sentenced in 2008 to 59 years now reduced to 35 years.

Rex Bloomstein made this film to show Zarganar’s wonderful comic personality despite his stories of arrest, torture and solitary confinement.

He says, ”I wanted the world to experience his humility, his identification with the ordinary people of Burma and his fearless opposition to the Generals. I also wanted people to hear his response to the years of persecution her had suffered at their hands when he turned to me and said “ my enemy must be my friend”.

Michael Mittemeier, is famous for tackling taboo subjects in his comic routines and joined the project when he heard about Zarganar’s fate.

‘This Prison Where I Live’ is a feature documentary and is the story of Micaheal’s exploration into the personality, the motivation and the talent of the man who describes himself as the ‘loudspeaker’ for his people.

ENDS

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