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Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country

Play trailer Poster for Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country 2009 1h 24m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
97% Tomatometer 62 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Thousands of citizens of Myanmar take to the streets in several cities to protest the Asian nation's repressive regime. The protests take on a new degree of seriousness when dozens of monks launch their own marches down city streets. This documentary from Anders Ostergaard focuses on the work of videographers and citizen journalists who defy the government's crackdown on the media -- a brave bunch who manage to transmit footage of the uprising to the outside world.

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Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country

Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A powerfully visceral docu-drama highlighting the evils of censorship and the essential need for freedom of speech.

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Critics Reviews

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Leslie Felperin Variety 12/15/2009
Burma VJ celebrates the courage of the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), a group of underground journalists who risked their lives to document the 2007 uprising against the junta. Go to Full Review Rob Nelson Minneapolis Star Tribune 09/17/2009
3/4
Burma VJ would be even more intense without its early announcement that some scenes have been restaged, putting the viewer in a regrettably uncertain relationship to what follows. Go to Full Review John Hartl Seattle Times 08/27/2009
3/4
Narrated by a frightened journalist who trembles as he accumulates forbidden footage and provides a historical viewpoint, "Burma VJ" uses shocking video images and reconstructed scenes to create a coherent, mostly chronological account of what happened. Go to Full Review Michael Leader Den of Geek 05/07/2024
4/5
A fascinating, important documentary, and one that manages to highlight just how powerful the media can be. Go to Full Review Kaleem Aftab The National (UAE) 11/01/2018
It's powerful stuff. The story of the uprising is well told and seems balanced. It's also an important film in terms of cinema as it illustrates a major shift in the way documentaries are made. Go to Full Review Mike Edwards What Culture 03/01/2011
4.5/5
No matter how many times anyone tries to appropriate shaky camera techniques, they'll never recreate anything as real as a reporter fleeing heavily armed police. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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08/28/2017 the moment when you can't speak. See more 02/17/2013 A doc. about brave reporters in Burma that risk their lives to get the truth out about the brutality of the police state. See more 11/12/2012 A film I really liked until I thought a bit about it and which I still want to like. This film is so stuffed with recreated and redramatized scenes that it's a bit difficult to take seriously as a documentary. So heavily edited to stay on a very specific message, but still leaving tons of interesting (and obvious) questions not only unanswered but unasked, I found it to be one of the most disappointing films on Burma I've seen to date. See more 08/16/2012 Powerful. Wonderful coverage of a truly brave social movement. Inspires hope! See more 04/15/2012 The most inspiring piece of documentary cinema ever made. See more 04/14/2012 excellent and a powerful reminder of times past in burma See more Read all reviews
Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country

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Cast & Crew

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Anders Østergaard

Director

George W. Bush

Self

Aung San Suu Kyi

Self

Jan Krogsgaard

Screenwriter

Anders Østergaard

Screenwriter

Lise Lense-Møller

Producer
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Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country

Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country (2008) A scene from the film "Burma VJ." A scene from the film "Burma VJ." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Thousands of citizens of Myanmar take to the streets in several cities to protest the Asian nation's repressive regime. The protests take on a new degree of seriousness when dozens of monks launch their own marches down city streets. This documentary from Anders Ostergaard focuses on the work of videographers and citizen journalists who defy the government's crackdown on the media -- a brave bunch who manage to transmit footage of the uprising to the outside world.
Director
Anders Østergaard
Producer
Lise Lense-Møller
Screenwriter
Jan Krogsgaard, Anders Østergaard
Distributor
Oscilloscope Pictures
Production Co
Magic Hour Films ApS, Mediamente, Kamoli Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 20, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 3, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$50.4K
Runtime
1h 24m