Synopsis
In 2009, two local organisations piloted a project to show that, with enough credit and the right technical support, farmers in the Ayeyarwaddy Delta could substantially increase rice yields and quality, including meeting the exacting standards of the international rice export market. The outcome of the pilot surprised everyone: the harvest exceeded in doubling their profits.
Filmed during an entire rice cycle, this documentary follows the fortunes of one farmer who took part in the project in an area badly affected by Cyclone Nargis: as the initially sceptical Ko Win Khin comes to grips with the new rice-growing techniques and begins to see how they can enhance his traditional methods, miller U Ohn Hann and agronomist U Moe Naing Oo explain how this ground-breaking project could have a major impact for farmers across the country – and help Myanmar regain its position as the rice bowl of Asia.
Director's Biography
Born in Yangon in 1974, Pe Maung Same developed his love for documentary as an editor of newsreel and historical films at AV Media; he also produced his own VCD magazine, ‘Disc Diary’. A participant of the very first YFS workshop in 2005, he has worked on a large number of YFS productions, often as cinematographer. Set in Phya Phone, his 2006 directorial debut Like Father, Like Son won a Heinrich Boell Foundation Documentary Award in 2007; his subsequent work displays his enduring fascination for the people and landscapes of Myanmar’s Ayeyarwaddy Delta region. He was co-director of the first feature-length documentary from Myanmar, Nargis – when time stopped breathing (2010).
Screenings
Director's Filmography
Co-Director/Cinematographer
32‘17‘‘
Co-Director
90‘0‘‘
Producer
17‘23‘‘
Cinematographer
20‘50‘‘
Editor
13‘49‘‘
Director/Editor
5‘0‘‘
