THIS PRISON WHERE I LIVE
Year: 2010
UK: Dogwoof Films
Cast: Michael Mittermeier, Zarganar
Director: Rex Bloomstein
Countries: UK / Germany
UK: 90 mins
UK Certificate: tbc
UK Release Date: 29 October 2010 (Limited Release)
Synopsis
THIS PRISON WHERE I LIVE is a feature length documentary about two comedians.
Maung Thura, better known as Zarganar, is Burma's greatest living comic. Relentlessly victimised by the Burmese military junta, he is now in prison. Michael Mittermeier, in stark contrast, is free to practise his art of humour and provocation as one of Germany's leading stand up comedians.
In 2007, Zarganar was interviewed by the British documentary filmmaker, Rex Bloomstein, despite being banned from all forms of artistic activity and talking to foreign media.
This footage remained unseen. Two years later, hearing that Zarganar had been sentenced to 35 years in jail, Bloomstein teamed up with Michael Mittermeier and together they travelled secretly to Burma to make a film about this courageous man, who describes himself as the "loudspeaker" for the Burmese people, and to investigate humour under dictatorship.
"I hope that with the help of this movie, the world will get to know the name of this man," says Mittermeier.