Past event
General Cartoon (Tha Du, 1963) With an introduction and Q&A from Okkar Maung, Save Myanmar Film
Join the Department of Film Studies for a special screening of the recently restored Burmese film General Cartoon (Tha Du, 1963) and question and answer (Q&A) session with Director of Save Myanmar Film, Okkar Maung.
General Cartoon (Tha Du,1963) is a satirical black-and-white short film that intertwines dark comedy with poignant social commentary. The story follows General Cartoon, a fierce bandit plagued by malaria, who ruthlessly robs and murders to survive. His chaotic life takes an unexpected turn when Nyunt Maung, a treasure seeker who bears an uncanny resemblance to the notorious robber, stumbles into the forest.
As the plot unfolds, hilarious misunderstandings and witty dialogues bring light to the dark realities of life in the jungle, reflecting the struggles of the poor and the corruption of the military regime. In a twist of fate, audiences ponder the thin line between hero and villain, humor and tragedy.
Tha Du is an author and film director, who was a lieutenant in the Yaynanmyay Revolution. In the 1940s, he began writing novels and articles and is an award-winning author with around 20 novels, an autobiography and many short stories in his literary canon. In 1959, he established a film production company and, in that year, won Best Burmese Director Academy Award with his first feature film. In 1960, he won his second academy award and he has made prominent Burmese films throughout his career.
General Cartoon has been recently restored and digitised by the Thai Film Archive. The project is funded by a British Council Myanmar Connections Through Culture Grant awarded to Okkar Maung of Save Myanmar Film and Dr Philippa Lovatt, Lecturer in Film Studies at St Andrews, for the project ‘Safeguarding and Protecting Audiovisual Heritage in a time of Environmental Crisis'.
This in-person event will be held at the Film Studies Boardroom at 99 North Street, which is on the first floor and is not wheelchair accessible. Please email Philippa at [email protected] if you'd like to watch the film at another time.