Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
as five colours. A top-quality bowl can have its rim squeezed together until the sides
meet without suffering any damage or permanent distortion.
ZARGANAR
Myanmar's most popular comedian is Maung Thura, better known by his stage
name Zarganar (also spelled Zargana) meaning tweezers. Born into an intellectual
and politically active family he trained as a dentist in Yangon in the 1980s, a period
during which he also worked as a volunteer literary teacher in Chin State, and
formed part of a comedy troupe of students performing a-nyeintskit routines.
Such was his success in the last role that he ended up on television, where he took
astonishing risks for the time with his satirical material lampooning the military
rulers.
His first stint in jail followed the 1988 street protests in Yangon. There were sev-
eral other prison terms leading up to his last incarceration in 2008 when he criti-
cised the government for its poor response to the tragedy of Cyclone Nargis. For
this he was sentenced to 35 years in jail. This Prison Where I Live(
ht-
tp://thisprisonwhereilive.co.uk
)
, a documentary by Rex Bloomstein, includes inter-
views with Zarganar filmed in 2007 before he was imprisoned. During his time in
jail Zarganar was awarded the inaugural PEN Pinter Prize for his writing.
After November 2011, when Zarganar was released, This Prison Where I Livewas
updated to include footage of him meeting with German comedian Michael Mitter-
meier, who also features in the documentary. Bloomstein also made a BBC radio
documentary entitled Burma's Zarganar: The Man Who Laughed at the Generals.
Since his release Zarganar has met with former US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton in the US to discuss the political situation in Myanmar. Having made many
films as an actor and director, Zarganar is also one of the people behind the House
of Media and Entertainment (HOME), a Yangon-based centre to train and support
young filmmakers as well as encourage a new generation of fearless comedians.
Tapestries & Textiles
Tapestries
(kalaga)
consist of pieces of coloured cloth of various sizes heavily em-
broidered with silver- or gold-coloured thread, metal sequins and glass beads, and feature
mythological Myanmar figures in padded relief. The greatest variety is found in Man-
dalay, where most tapestries are produced.
Good-quality
kalaga
are tightly woven and don't skimp on sequins, which may be
sewn in overlapping lines, rather than spaced side by side, as a sign of embroidery skill.
The metals used should shine, even in older pieces; tarnishing means lower-quality ma-
terials.
