17 November
Union Minister for Information Dr Pe Myint attended the Myanmar 100 Handover Ceremony at the Film Development Centre in Bahan Township, Yangon, yesterday morning, and accepted a digitized copy of the Hmone Shwe Yi movie, along with a scenic documentary about Yangon.
The ceremony was attended by the Italian and Australian ambassadors to Myanmar, the charge d’affaire of the Embassy of France in Myanmar, Memory Cinema members, departmental officials, Film Development Centre members, Myanmar Motion Picture Organization Patrons, Chairman and members, movie and television producers, Save Myanmar Film members, movie enthusiasts and news media personnel.
Patron of Myanmar Memory Cinema Movie Festival Academy Daw Swe Zin Htike explained about transferring Myanmar motion picture heritage movies to mark the centennial of Myanmar’s motion picture.
This was followed by Mrs S’everine Wemaere of Memory Cinema Group, who said that France, Switzerland and Germany jointly digitized the movie “Mya Ganaing” in 2016, while France and Singapore digitized “Pyo Chit Lin” in 2017 and handed them over to Myanmar in 2018.
In 2018, France, Italy and Germany jointly digitized “Hmone Shwe Yi”, which was delivered to Myanmar yesterday.
U Okka of the Save Myanmar Film Group reviewed the collecting and maintenance of Myanmar’s cultural heritage movies and documentaries.
Afterwards, Union Minister Dr Pe Myint said Memory Cinema Group’s sponsoring the Memory Film Festival was ensuring the restoration of Myanmar’s heritage films, and preventing them from disappearing.
He also disclosed that Japan has restored the Japan Yin Thwe (Japanese Offspring) film and planned to deliver the digitized movie to Myanmar.
The Union minister also noted that the Korea Film Council was planning to digitize the “Payinyaung” Myanmar film, adding that restored Myanmar films and films digitized by international partners will be screened at the Centenary of Myanmar Movies celebration.
He also stressed the need to restore documentary films, which are as valuable and interesting as feature movies.
The Union Minister invited international communities to help develop Myanmar’s film sector by cooperating with the Myanmar Film Development Centre of the Information and Public Relations Department under the Ministry of Information.
Afterwards, the Italian Ambassador and the deputy chief of mission of the Embassy of France explained the process of digitizing the Hmone Shwe Yi film, as well as the preservation of historic films and documentaries in their countries.
They also expressed their willingness to find and digitize other ancient Myanmar films in their countries, and to help in the restoration and preservation of ancient films in Myanmar.
Afterwards, the Italian Ambassador and the deputy chief of mission of France handed over the digitized Home Shwe Yi film to the Union Minister. Also, the Australian Ambassador presented a documentary film of scenes of Yangon, as well as cutting down trees, while using elephants in Myanmar.
Hmone Shwe Yi Film was shot in 1970 and directed by Win Oo. Win Oo, Aung Lwin and Khin Than Nu acted in the movie. It won the Best Movie Award and Win Oo also received the Best Actor Award.
The Hmone Shwe Yi film has been stored in the Ministry’s archive.
The Memory Cinema Group also digitized the Mya Ga Naing film shot in 1934 and Pyo Chit Lin film shot in 1950, and handed them over to the Ministry of Information.
Mya Ga Naing Film was listed by UNESCO as a documentary of the country’s heritage.—MNA (Translated by Zaw Min)
