THE ROAD TO MANDALAY
Filmfest 2017
Germany, France, Myanmar, Taiwan 2016
Original version with English subtitles
(Original: Burmese, Thai)
German Premiere
Director: Midi Z
Section: International Independents
The human traffickers have a well-established route: from Burma into Thailand across the Mekong River at Tchilek, along quiet country roads, passing bribed police checkpoints and into Bangkok, where the illegal migrants are on their own. Lianqing is one of five illegals who travels this route one summer night in 2013; along the way a fellow migrant called Guo is kind to her, and their fates later become entwined. Once in Thailand, Lianqing finds 'underground' jobs, saves money and finds out where to buy fake identity papers with the hope of making it to Taiwan. But Guo has different ambitions.
Cast: Kai Ko, Ke-Xi Wu
Credits
Screenplay: Midi Z
Director of Photography: Tom Fan
Film Editor: Matthieu Laclau
Composer: Giong Lim
Production Designer: Akekarat Homlaor
Sound: Duu-Chih Tu, Shu-Yao Wu
Producer: Patrick Mao Huang, Midi Z
Production Company: Seashore Image Productions, Flash forward entertainment, House on Fire, Myanmar Montage Films
Co-Producer: Vincent Wang, Dominique Welinski, Aditya Assart, De-Fu Zhao, Katharina Suckale, Arfi Lamba
Co-Production Company: Bombay Berlin film production, Pop Pictures Company Limited
World Sales: UDI - Urban Distribution Intl
Director: Midi Z
biography
Born in Myanmar in 1982, Midi Z arrived in Taiwan at the age of sixteen. He studied design and art before obtaining a master degree from the National Taiwan University of Technology and Science. In 2006, his graduation film, PALOMA BLANCA, was invited to several festivals such as Busan and Gothenburg. In 2011, RETURN TO BURMA, his debut feature, was nominated for the Busan New Currents Competition and Rotterdam Tiger Competition. In 2014, ICE POISON won Best International Film at Edinburgh and was the Taiwanese submission to the Oscars as Best Foreign Language Film.
