NarinjaraNews, May 2,2023

‘MyHidden City,’ adocumentary film about Rakhine’sancient cultural capital, Mrauk U, won the award for the best short documentary award at a Frenchfilm festival.

According toDaw Khin Than, the chairwoman of the Mrauk-U Cultural Heritage Conservation Association, the short documentary filmhas won the award for Best Short Documentary at the Giraffe Film Festival held in Nice, France last March andApril.

“ Ireceived an email from the officials of the French film festival on the morningof May 1, informing me that it wonthe award.This is the first time the film has won an award, despite being shortlisted in previous international film festivals. I amthrilled and grateful for thisrecognition,” she said.

The short film was filmed in January 2018 and has beenselected for screening at international film festivals. It has been widelyscreened since then in various festivals.

It was also granted an Honourable Mention Certificate, atthe Japan International Film

Festival on June 24, 2022. 

Daw Khin Than stated that, “Our primary motivation formaking this film was to raise awareness about Mrauk U and its cultural heritage. Anotherthing is that we wanted to preserve the cultural heritage in Mrauk U. We also want tosupport its inclusion on the UNESCO -World Heritage List" she said.

The documentary was a collaborative effort between Myanmardirector Wunna Kyaw and American director Barry Pousman. The film was madepossible with support from the Dr. Saw Mra Aung Foundation and Mr. KimballGallagher. 

The documentary, which has been translated into 8 languages,features Ko Saw Min Phyu and SawNan Ei Shun, the granddaughter of renowned Rakhine-Myanmar scholar U Oo Tha Tun. The film showcases the timeless customs and practices of the Rakhine people, as well as the ancient temples and pagodas of Mrauk U.

Since its completion, My Hidden City has been selected fornumerous international film festivals,including those held in France, America, Ireland, Argentina, and Japan. The film has been shown in over 30countries worldwide.

In September 2019, a draft proposal was submitted to theUNESCO World Heritage Center in Paris, France, advocating for the inclusion of theMrauk U region on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On December 30, 2021, thefinal proposal for the inclusionof the Mrauk U region on theUNESCO World Heritage List was submitted.

However, the Military Council’s recent actions have temporarilysuspended the process of Mrauk U’s admission to UNESCO as thecurrent coup regime is not recognized by theUN General Assembly. 

The Department of Archaeology in the Mrauk U Division hasstated that it is actively engagedin the conservation and researchof ancient heritage, but its efforts have come to a halt as UNESCO has ceased communication with them.

UNESCO as a UN agency is duty bound to respect the decisionof the UN headquarters in New York that has strongly condemned the2021 coup and right now the Myanmar seathas been left vacant.

According to analysts who specialize in Rakhine affairs, theMilitary Council currently in powerin Myanmar is not recognized as a legitimate government by the international community and therefore is disqualified from nominating Mrauk U’s World Heritage listing.

The inclusion of the Mrauk U region, where Rakhine’s priceless ancient culture, pagodas, and buildings are located, inUNESCO’s World HeritageList could potentially lead to thedevelopment of domestic and international tourism, creating job opportunities for local residents throughtourism-related activities.