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MA - Cry of Silence

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MA - Cry of Silence
Poster
Directed byThe Maw Naing
Written byYoung Jeong Oh
Produced byYoung Jeong Oh
The Maw Naing
StarringSu Lay
CinematographyTin Win Naing
Edited byNicolas Bancilhon
VFX:
Arthur Pedel
Music byMathieu Farnarier
(Supervising sound editor & Sound design)
Production
companies
One Point Zero
Plus Point One
Release date
  • 4 October 2024 (2024-10-04)
(South Korea)
Running time
74 minutes
CountriesMyanmar
South Korea
Singapore
France
Norway
Qatar
LanguageBurmese

MA - Cry of Silence (Burmese: မ) is a 2024 Burmese film written by Young Jeong Oh and directed by The Maw Naing.[1][2][3] It is produced by The Maw Naing and Young Jeong Oh under the production studios One Point Zero and Plus Point One. It is inspired by women's strikes that took place in 2012 in Myanmar.[4][5]

MA - Cry of Silence was premiered at various film festivals, which include 29th Busan International Film Festival 2024, Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2024, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2024 (Windows on Asia), World Film Festival of Bangkok 2024, Dharamshala International Film Festival 2024, 19th Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival 2024, Festival International du Film de Marrakech 2024, 2nd Eikhoigi Imphal International Film Festival 2025 and Göteborg Film Festival 2025.[6][7][8]

Plot

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The film tells the story of an 18 year-old Mi-Thet who has left her family in the countryside for a job at a garment factory in Yangon. She faces an urgent strike organized by her colleagues. But soon, the strikers are attacked by the henchmen of the military regime, leaving Mi-Thet terrified by her past trauma. By learning about the recent history of her country, she decides to act.

Cast

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  • Su Lay as Mi-Thet
  • Kyawt Kay Khiang as Nyein-Nyein
  • Ko Nanda as Ko-Tun
  • Nwe Nwe Soe as Ei-Lay
  • Nay Htoo Aung
  • Thidar
  • Htet Htet
  • Khine Tha Zin Ko

Production

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The film is co-produced by Jeremy Chua (Potocol), Charlotte Guénin (Massala), Marie Fuglestein Lægreid, Ingrid Lill Høgtun, Linda Bolstad Strønen (DUO film) and Jean-Baptiste Bailly-Maitre (Alpha Violet Production).[9]

Release

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MA - Cry of Silence was screened on 4 October 2024 at the 29th Busan International Film Festival.[10] The film was premiered at the Dharamshala International Film Festival on 9 November 2024.[11] It had its European Premiere at the Göteborg Film Festival on 31 January, 1 & 2 February 2025.[12]

Reception

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Allan Hunter of Screen Daily reviewed, "MA – Cry Of Silence depicts a life that barely feels worth living. Cinematographer Tin Win Naing paints Mi-Thet’s boarding house as gloomy and claustrophobic; a warren of misery with no privacy. The garment factory is all artificial light and rows of sewing machines. The shots of whirring fans and clock faces underscore the notion that these women are like creatures trapped on a running wheel."[13] Clarence Tsui of The Film Verdict wrote, "Boasting stellar performances from its young cast, MA - Cry of Silence conveys its fiery spirit loudly and clearly."[14]

Namrata Joshi of Cinema Express opined, "The entire film, like Mi-Thet, moves primarily between two key spaces—the factory and the dormitory. Both are equally grimy, bleak and joyless and lend an element of confinement to the visual design of the film. In turn, it reflects the limitations of the young lives—that of Mi-Thet as well as her co-workers and friends. The young women are like caged birds. The production, sound design, and cinematography go hand-in-hand in creating an enveloping sense of place, an architecture of claustrophobia. An overwhelming sense of suffocation pervades the film’s frames; it reaches out and can be felt by the audience as well."[15] Panos Kotzathanasis of Asian Movie Pulse commented, "The concept of experimentation in movies recently has become quite formulaic, with most films of the category featuring a combination of vignettes and narration, usually unrelated to each other. Thankfully, The Maw Naing's experimentation in MA – Cry of Silence is of a completely different style and actually works quite well."[16]

Accolades

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Festival Award Result Ref.
2nd Maia International Film Festival 2025 Gold Ear of Wheat – 1st Place Won [17]
22nd Asian Film Festival 2025 Most Original Films Won [18]
2nd Eikhoigi Imphal International Film Festival 2025 Best Fiction: International Competition Won [19]
29th Busan International Film Festival 2024 Best Film Won [20]
19th Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival 2024 Geber Award Won [21]
NETPAC Award Won
Golden Hanoman Award Nominated
World Film Festival of Bangkok 2024 Special Mention Won
Best Film: Lotus Award Competition Nominated
Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2024 New Talent Award Nominated [22]
Golden Horse Film Festival 2024 NETPAC Award Nominated [23]
Festival international du film de Marrakech 2024 Best Feature Film: Golden Star Nominated [24]
Göteborg Film Festival 2025 International Competition: Dragon Award Nominated [25]
Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema 2025 Best Feature Film: Golden Wheel Nominated
African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival 2025 Windows on the World Feature Film Competition Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Olivia Popp (9 December 2024). "Review - MA - Cry of Silence". Cineuropa. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  2. ^ Patrick Frater (28 August 2024). "Busan Competition Film 'MA – Cry of Silence' Picked Up by Alpha Violet". Variety. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Ma-Cry of Silence — Films - Doha Film Institute". www.dohafilminstitute.com. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  4. ^ "MA - Cry of Silence de The Maw Naing (2024)". en.unifrance.org. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  5. ^ Thomas Maresca. "'MA - Cry of Silence' sends an urgent message from Myanmar". www.upi.com. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  6. ^ "MA - Cry of Silence(HKAFF2024) Movie - Broadway Circuit". www.cinema.com.hk. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  7. ^ Navin Upadhyay (27 January 2025). "Imphal Film Festival Unveils Diverse Lineup with 57 Films, Showcasing Manipuri Classics". powercorridors.in.
  8. ^ Murtaza Ali Khan. "EIIFF 2025: Cinema Sparks Change in Manipur". www.transcontinentaltimes.com. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  9. ^ "MA-CRY OF SILENCE". massalaproduction.com. October 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  10. ^ "MA - Cry of Silence". www.biff.kr. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  11. ^ "MA - CRY OF SILENCE". diff.co.in. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  12. ^ "Ma – Cry of Silence". program.goteborgfilmfestival.se. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  13. ^ ALLAN HUNTER. "'MA - Cry Of Silence' - Busan Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  14. ^ Clarence Tsui (4 October 2024). "MA - Cry of Silence - The Film Verdict". The Film Verdict. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  15. ^ Namrata Joshi (26 November 2024). "Cinema Without Borders - MA-Cry of Silence - Of human bondage". Cinema Express. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  16. ^ Panos Kotzathanasis (10 October 2024). "Film Review - MA- Cry of Silence (2024) by The Maw Naing". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  17. ^ "MA - Cry of Silence". www.maiaiff.com. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  18. ^ "MA - Cry of Silence". www.asianfilmfestival.info/vincitori-aff22/. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  19. ^ "EIIFF Newsletter Day5 Winners v2" (PDF). eiiff.org. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  20. ^ MICHAEL ROSSER. "'The Land Of Morning Calm', 'MA – Cry Of Silence' win top awards at Busan, 2025 date shift confirmed". Screen Daily. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  21. ^ "MA - Cry of Silence - 19th JAFF". jaff-filmfest.org. 2 November 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  22. ^ "MA – Cry of Silence by The Maw Naing". www.alphaviolet.com. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  23. ^ "MA – Cry of Silence by The Maw Naing". www.alphaviolet.com. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  24. ^ "MA - CRY OF SILENCE". marrakech-festival.com. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  25. ^ "MA - Cry of Silence (2024)". mubi.com. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
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