We held a screening of "Living in a Foreign Land: Burmese in Japan"

On Sunday, January 26, 2014, a screening of "Living in a Foreign Land: Burmese in Japan" was held in the 601st meeting room of the Itabashi City Green Hall. Thank you to the many visitors who came out in the cold wind that day.

"Living in a Foreign Land: A Burmese in Japan" won the Cultural Documentary Award from the Agency for Cultural Affairs and was also highly praised by Kinema Junpo. The film is a documentary that follows a young Burmese man who was working towards democratization, but was forced to live as a refugee in Japan due to the oppression of the military regime, and still cherishes his homeland. The protagonist, Kyaw Kyaw Soe, is still unable to return to his homeland. When he first came to Japan as a refugee, it was his family that enabled him to endure the lonely life in a foreign country. The highlight of the film is the scene where he is reunited with his wife, Nuen Nue Kyaw, after being separated from her for a long time. Watching the two of them support each other and survive in a harsh environment once again reminds us of the importance of family ties.

At this screening, we set aside time for an interview with the two main characters, and they shared their thoughts about their homeland, Burma, and their families. They cited the Great East Japan Earthquake as the most shocking experience they had in Japan. Unable to sit back and watch the devastation, the two gathered friends and went to Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, to serve food. They said, "It's not enough if only you are happy," but the words of Kyaw Kyaw Soe, who has trained as a monk in Burma, carry a lot of weight. As for their future aspirations, they said they would like to do their best to educate the children who will carry the future of Burma. It must have been a difficult experience to escape the oppression of their home country and live in a foreign country for so long in Japan, but throughout the interview, their gentle smiles, which did not show any sign of that, were impressive.

After the screening, a social gathering was held for the two protagonists at an Italian restaurant run by an APFS director near the venue. In addition to the organizing staff, there were also students who were interested in the film, people who had become interested in Burma through travel, and people from a local volunteer center. Although it was their first time meeting each other, everyone got along well and enjoyed a lively conversation, becoming completely open-minded and enjoying a pleasant time of conversation.

This screening was sponsored by APFS and Takashimadaira ACT, with the support of the Itabashi Cultural and International Exchange Foundation, the Tokyo Volunteer and Citizens' Activities Center, and the Itabashi General Volunteer Center. In addition to refugees, there are many other foreigners living in Japan. However, we don't often have the opportunity to think about their existence. We hope that this screening will help people to understand foreigners, even if only a little.