Once Upon A Time There Was A Mom

AUNG Lin-Htet

Myanmar〡2023〡Exp〡B&W〡29 min〡Myanmar
✧2023 鹿特丹國際影展
✧2024瑞士盧卡諾影展
✧2023新加坡國際影展 最佳劇本 銀獎

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母親過世的第二天,父親變回少年時的樣子,與兒子同齡。 影片透過將這個不正常的故事與《太子須大拏經》故事(關於佛陀最後的人類前世的著名故事)並置,隱喻地代表了緬甸深刻的歷史。

Director

AUNG Lin-Htet

Lin Htet Aung is a 98 born self-learned filmmaker based in Myanmar. In his earlier days, he wrote avant-garde poems and published underground poetry books. He started making short films in 2017.His short films have been selected at several international film festivals including International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen, and won “Silver Screen Award – Best Director” (2020), “Silver Screen Award – Best Screenplay” (2023) at the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), “Principi Award” (2023) at Lago Film Fest and “Jury Prize” (2023) at Bangkok Asean Film Festival (BAFF). He is a directing fellow of the 2023 CHANEL X BIFF Asian Film Academy. He is also a Prince Claus Seed Awardee 2023, and a participant of Locarno Filmmakers Academy 2024. He also has been nominated twice for SEA AiR – Studio Residencies Cycle 1 and Cycle 2, and has been chosen as a shortlisted artist in Cycle 2.

11.08 ㊄ 16:10〡台南新光影城 4 廳
11.13  ㊂ 20:10 〡台南新光影城 4 廳〡 Q&A session with the Director
同場放映:《夏夢迴》《死囡仔》《撒旦擊打我》
Buying Tickets
11.11 ㊀ 11:50〡台南新光影城 4 廳〡實驗馬拉松A
同場放映:《海坐下來時沒有風》《誰在寫歷史?》《光打在我眼上》

Buying Tickets

I was inspired to create this film by the sudden political shift in Myanmar in 2021, from a fledgling democracy back to military dictatorship, which uprooted over 50 years of progress. My aim is to capture the essence of our feelings as time capsules. This led me to focus on Myanmar, a country with the world’s longest ongoing civil war and home to over 135 ethnic groups, resembling a family of forcibly united strangers, combined with lots of broken promises since the day of trying independence from the British Colony.

The story is inspired by the Vessantara Jātaka tale, which I read at age 12. The moment when Prince Vessantara cried after donating his children to a Brahmin deeply moved me. His tears, rather than the typical heroism, left a lasting impact. I decided to merge this family story with the complex history of Myanmar, portraying both past and present emotions.

To leave a timeless impression, I chose to make a black-and-white silent film. In Myanmar’s cinematic history, only one such film remains watchable. Thus, I envision my film as the second, created in the present but discovered and restored by future generations, capturing the essence of our era.

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