Burma VJ: a journalist's perspective

Burma VJ tells the story of the 2007 uprising in Burma through the shocking footage of the Democratic Voice of Burma, a group of undercover video journalists who filmed the excitement of the protests and the brutality of the military ruling party with hidden cameras. Our glowing review of the real-life drama captured in this revealing documentary can be seen here: Burma VJ review

Sound Screen met up with director Anders Østergaard and ‘Joshua’ (real name protected), one of the DVB reporters, to talk about revolution, Burma, and guerilla film-making.

An interview with Anders Østergaard and ‘Joshua’

Anders, what made you decide to make a film about Burma?
Anders: I think my interest in making something about Burma was really the fact that I knew nothing about it. I consider myself fairly well informed about the world, but Burma was a white spot on the map, and that kind of intrigued me.

Were you initially approached to do it, or was it a personal project?
I was invited by a Danish producer. In fact, we were quite modest in our ambitions when we started this project because that was well before the uprising. I was very intrigued about the VJs’ story, but we realised at the same time that it would never be spectacular. But then as we were working all this happened, and it became a very big story indeed.

Had you always been planning to do a guerrilla-style documentary like this, or had you initially intended to bring in a film crew of your own?
We did consider bringing a film crew of our own, but gave that up very soon, as we soon realised that would become a film about ourselves, about the difficulties we would have in talking to people, going places. Somehow we needed to get rid of that syndrome about not being able to work freely, and I felt that the VJs and their footage would be a shortcut to a more free film about the country.

How did you get in touch with Joshua and the rest of the Democratic Voice of Burma?
Because of the DVB being so trustful and forthcoming, they sent us to Bangkok to meet a number of people who were working for them, including Joshua. I think we struck a chord. We had a shared understanding of what we could do with this material.

Was there a moment when you realised what you had here, how big it was?
Intellectually, we always understood that it was a big story, but emotionally I think the moment for me was when we put together the ‘happy days’ sections, the euphoria of the uprising as it was at its most promising. Often, you don’t see the power until you cut it together and you realise what enormous hope, and enormous courage, was represented in the people.

Just one of the confrontations captured on film for the Burma VJ documentary

Joshua, What was it like being in Thailand coordinating and hearing all this incredible news from your colleagues on the ground in Burma?
Joshua: Well in the beginning it was frustrating for me because I couldn’t be there with my camera, I couldn’t make my own story on the ground.. But at the same time, I realised that my coordinating job was making my colleagues’ stories better.

What happened to the three journalists who were arrested at the end of the protests? Are they still on trial?
Joshua: Some of them are already in jail, and some of them are in jail and facing another trial for the next charges. Their time will be terrible, but because of Burma VJ becoming so prominent in the international community, they have been noticed by the military junta as people to treat carefully, which is one of the positive things for them.

Is it harder for the DVB to operate in Burma now, to get stories and film, now the government is so aware of them?
Joshua: Journalists are always a prime enemy in Burma. Whoever wants to tell the truth in Burma is a state enemy who could be arrested at any time. So we are always the prime target, not just because of the documentary. But at the same time, because of the Burma VJ documentary and because of our stories, a lot of young journalists are willing to join us, so we are getting an even stronger network. Sixty journalists are working on the ground with cameras.

So you have more recruits?
Joshua: We already had a lot of journalists, and now a lot more are waiting for their training, so the organisation is getting much bigger.

After the arrests and killings, do you still think it was all worth it?
Joshua: Since we began, we prepared for a lot of possibilities, and this was always one of them. So I feel that all the people took part in the demonstrations, who joined the lines in the streets, had decided that they will face everything that can happen.

A victorious rally in the streets of Burma

Burma has been tremendous international pressure over the last few years to become more open to the outside world, especially after the demonstrations in 2007 and Cyclone Nargis in 2008. Has there been any change? Is it any more open now than when you were filming?
Anders: I wouldn’t say it’s more open, but I do think the junta is vulnerable. I think the latest trial against Aung San Suu Kyi [a Burmese politician and folk heroine, who has spent 13 of the last 19 years under house arrest] was very clumsily performed by the junta. One day they would allow people in to witness the trial, and the next they would throw them out again. Clearly they are confused about how to progress, and that gives me hope.

So they seem less unified?
Anders: Yes, and much more in doubt about how to progress.

It seems that widespread access to cameras and the internet makes it tougher for governments to control what information its people release. Do you think this represents a big change for protest and social action?
Anders: The film is also a celebration of citizen journalism as a phenomenon, which is not limited to Burma. We saw an almost identical situation recently in Iran, where Western film crews were not allowed in and yet the protests against the government were fully documented and brought to us all across the world. That was the same phenomenon repeating itself, and it will continue to repeat itself.

Joshua, what are you going to do next?
Joshua: My main duty for now is to coordinate with journalists from the international community to broker more coverage about Burma on their channels. It’s time for the international community to know more about Burma, and talk more about Burma.

Burma VJ is in cinemas now via Dogwoof Pictures in association with the Co-Operative

Interview written and conducted by Tom Brown