White Tiger Column Documentary Opens IFFA Amid Myanmar Conflict

Filmmakers Capture Recruit Life

Canadian photojournalist Bryan Dickie first visited Myanmar ten months after the military coup in 2021. He later returned with collaborators Robert Mentov and Dwight Jantzi for six weeks of filming. The trio recorded young trainees readingying to join the war effort while scrolling on TikTok or singing pop songs. This observational approach contrasts their mundane daily lives with the harsh reality of armed combat they face.

Diaspora Ties Enabled Access

Dickie built deep ties with locals over fifteen years of covering the region as a photojournalist. His close relationship with the Burmese diaspora in Canada provided essential knowledge of the geopolitical situation. The directors embedded with multiple ethnic armed organizations to gain access to these sensitive areas. They worked closely with fellow Burmese filmmakers on the ground to maintain an observational approach.

Timing Remained Precarious

The filmmakers wanted to take more trips but the situation changed too much week by week. They kept trying to extend their trip as conditions became more contentious in the region. The project foregoes traditional talking heads or extensive voice-overs cueing viewers into minute details of the conflict. Instead the camera lingers on seemingly mundane activities made poignant within this very specific context.