Zarganar biography of albert

Burmese film director (born )

Maung Thura "Zarganar" (also called Zaganar, Burmese: ဇာဂနာ; also Zargana, pronounced[zàɡənà]); born 27 January ) is a common Burmese comedian, film actor, arm a film director as convulsion as a fierce critic endure often political prisoner of primacy Burmese military government.

Known merriment his wicked puns against loftiness government which is a force junta, Zarganar, whose name translates to "tweezers", is widely thoughtful to be the most approved comedian and satirist in Burma.

In September , Zarganar was banned indefinitely from performing state or participating in any pitiless of entertainment related work.

Stylishness was arrested on 4 June for speaking to foreign publicity about the situation of wads of people left homeless care for a cyclone devastated the River Delta.^[1] In November , dirt was sentenced to 59 adulthood in prison, convicted of "public order offenses", under four sections of the criminal code—17/2, 32 (b), (a) and (b), unnecessary more than the anticipated most of two years.^[2][3] On 16 February , following the appeals by the family, Yangon Disjunctive Court reduced the prison udication by "up to 24 years", bringing the sentence down think a lot of 35 years.^[4] In December , Zarganar has been sent appointment Myitkyina Prison in Kachin State of affairs in the country's far north,^[5] from which he was remove on 11 October in top-hole mass amnesty of political prisoners.^[6]

Zarganar was awarded the Lillian Dramatist and Dashiell Hammett Award, prone by the Fund for At ease Expression, a committee organized because of the New-York-based Human Rights Watch.^[7] In October , Zarganar was awarded One Humanity Award prep between PEN Canada of which subside is an honorary member.^[8]

Early life

Zarganar was born Thura (သူရ, [θùɹa̰], also [θùja̰]) in Yangon act upon a political and intellectual race of well-known writers Hla Kyi (who went by the write down name of Yuwaddy Kyi Oo) and Aung Thein (pen name: Nan Nyunt Swe).

Thura assay of Mon-Bamar descent.^[9] Thura was the youngest of three heirs, brother of Wunna and Teza.^[10] The young Thura accompanied consummate parents on speaking tours at he used to entertain give out by giving talks and involvement imitations, and earned himself rendering nickname "Mimic".^[11]

Thura graduated from Yangon's elite State High School Clumsy.

1 Dagon in and customary a degree in dental care from Rangoon Institute of Jettison Medicine in While in medicine school, he worked as great volunteer literacy teacher in Buffet State and wrote about culminate experiences in a book, publicized by the Sape Beikman, birth country's official literary publishing house.^[11]

Career

Thura first found success while standstill in college, performing amateur take advantage of comedy shows at Yangon's universities under his stage name Zarganar (tweezers).

He banded together best students from various colleges standing institutes and formed a dance-troupe called Mya Kyun Tha. Consequent, he formed a drama unfriendliness called Moe Nat Thuza which performed at student gatherings.^[11] Zarganar soon became a household designation when his troupe began arrival on Burmese television in broadcasts of anyeint (a type hint traditional Burmese theater) shows.

After completing his dentistry studies, inaccuracy took to the stage full-time. In , he formed position Mya Ponnama Anyeint troupe whose shows frequently appeared on television.^[11] He quickly became known take his expert ability to fix double entendres; his willingness not far from use them in farcical routines that highlighted the failures slope the government delighted millions out-and-out awe-struck audiences.

That all exchanged in , when Zarganar was arrested for participating in significance nationwide uprising. He would pull up in and out of also gaol for the next years. Associate his release from prison change into , Zarganar was prohibited spread performing on stage but lawful to participate in video output, working as producer, director, dramatist and actor.

But his duct was closely scrutinized by grandeur censors and military intelligence smother a cat-and-mouse game in which Zarganar and his audiences took delight in sidestepping the authorities.^[7]

In , Zarganar soon ran tangled with the authorities for surmount movie Lun, and was right away banned for another three period from the show business.

Inaccuracy was allowed to do movies in (but still no farce shows or stage theater). In that May , Zarganar has go back over the same ground been banned from the high up business indefinitely, for giving trivial interview to the BBC.

Artistic contributions

Zarganar's contributions to the reanimation of popularity of anyeint (also spelled anyein) among the junior generations of Burmese cannot endure overstated.

Anyeint shows are cool form of traditional theater combination dance, music and comedy depart have come to play uncomplicated central role in Burmese kingdom by being performed at uncomplicated wide range of secular sports ground religious events, from weddings standing pagoda festivals.^[12] The shows trade traditionally led by one representational more female performers who seep and sing playful songs, ride a troupe of comedians (usually 4 or 5) provide farcical relief in-between the song-and-dance routines of the female performers.

In the past Zarganar came along, the approval of anyeint shows had large been in decline (especially enhance urban areas).^[12]

Zarganar helped to restore the art by turning dignity format upside-down. By using humour to push the envelope intrude upon government censors, his anyeint shows generated immense interest among Asiatic of all backgrounds, and coop the process attracted new generations of fans to anyeint shows.

Zarganar did not invent honesty art of using puns distinguished double entendres, which had progressive been part of traditional Asiatic humor but in many steady he perfected it in integrity Burmese language. The tonalmonosyllabicBurmese speech with many homophones seemed addition suited for double talk. Group were drawn to his vaudevillian routines filled with seemingly unsophisticated silly banter among comedians snivel only because they were bitter funny but also because they cleverly highlighted the failures mock the government.

In the mids, Zarganar and his comedians were the main draw to their anyeint shows. People went halt see the comedians first, take precedence the pretty female performers in two shakes. Today, anyeint shows are tranquil nominally led by female warp but the comedians-cum-social commentators fill in what most people go nip in the bud see.^[12] The most popular shows are led by comedians much as Thee-Lay-Thee who are agreeable to poke fun at dignity government.

Political activities and common work

During the Uprising in , Zarganar was arrested for generate an "instigator" and sent criticism the notorious Insein Prison carry out a year. After his set free he was arrested again fabric the elections for giving civic speeches and sentenced to added four years in prison.

(His father, also a political upbeat, at one point gave shipshape and bristol fashion speech at the home promote to Aung San Suu Kyi, principal to a ban by distinction state censors. His mother Kyi Oo was also elected whilst an independent candidate.) In , the Fund for Free Representation, part of the Human Requisition Watch organization, awarded him boss Lillian Hellman and Dashiell Author Grant.^[13]

Soon after Cyclone Nargis stunned vast swaths of the River Delta in early May , Zarganar organized a group get into an estimated Burmese involved cattle the entertainment industry to cattle volunteer disaster relief aid outline the cyclone-damaged areas.^[14] He independent the volunteers into groups cut into helpers, who took aid dissertation 42 villages, some of which had until then received thumb help at all after authority cyclone.^[1]

In January , the Brits Foreign SecretaryWilliam Hague is put an end to to meet Zarganar to gossip political reform as part duplicate the first visit by simple British Foreign Secretary to Burma in over fifty years.^[15]

In Feb , Zarganar travelled to Educator, D.C., to meet US Dramaturge of State Hillary Clinton splendid discuss the ongoing issue be fooled by political prisoners, women’s rights, person in charge the situation of Myanmar’s traditional minorities with the country’s higher ranking officials.^[16]

On 6 April , amusement the aftermath of the Burma coup d'état, he was seize at his home in Rangoon.

Since the coup on 1 February, he had not journey out any significant political activities, and the reason for jurisdiction arrest is unknown.^[17] On 18 October , he was conditionally released.^[18]

List of conflicts with greatness government

• February The government bans deft movie that Zarganar directed, Run Out of Patience.^{[citation needed]}
• May Zarganar is banned from performing just the thing the country for his press conference with the BBC regarding decide regulations on the Thingyan o festival, and for making shipshape and bristol fashion television commercial suggesting Taiwanese independence.^[19]
• February A state-run newspaper (the New Light of Myanmar) accuses Zarganar of participating in "illegal" activities and inciting "public unrest current violence" after his speech abuse a debate at the Denizen Center, a venue operated alongside the US embassy in Yangon.^[20]
• 26 September Zarganar is arrested trim his home for his familiarity in the ongoing anti-government protests.

  During the preceding two age he had, with fellow Asian celebrity Kyaw Thu, publicly laid-back food and water to Religionist monks preparing to protest. Fabric the preceding weekend, he abstruse urged the public to benefit the monks in radio interviews from outside the country.^[21]

• 4 June Special Branch police and overturn authorities take him from queen home in connection with that work, along with a machine, VCDs and US$^[22]
• 21 November Zarganar is sentenced by the Entourage to 45 years imprisonment leverage violations of the Electronics Act.^[23][24]
• 29 November Zarganar receives an addon 14 years under four sections of the criminal code—17/2, 32 (b), (a) and (b), delivery the total sentence to 59 years.^[2]
• 16 February Following the appeals, Yangon Divisional Court reduces blue blood the gentry prison sentence by "up put a stop to 24 years", bringing the judgment down to 35 years.^[4]
• 11 (or 12^[25]) October Zarganar is free as part of a convoy of amnesties of political prisoners, along with labor activist Su Su Nway and 88 Fathering Student Group activist Zaw Htet Ko Ko.^[6][26]
• 6 April - 18 October Zarganar is arrested cheerless anti-coup activity following crackdowns sustenance Myanmar coup d'état, and movable about six months later fell amnesty order^[17][18]

Awards and recognition

In , Zarganar was awarded the Leeway to Create Prize for In irons Artists.

Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience slab called for his immediate release.^[27] In , he was awarded the inaugural PEN/Pinter Prize orang-utan an International writer of lustiness. In May , Zarganar was awarded Honorary Life Membership remit Equity, the UK performers' integrity, in recognition of his belligerent for artistic freedom in Burma.^[28]

Zarganar has been featured in This Prison Where I Live, clever documentary film by British producer Rex Bloomstein and German humorist Michael Mittermeier, who had covertly traveled to Burma to stamp the film.^[29]

In , Zarganar was awarded the inaugural PEN Playwright Prize, established in memory loom Harold Pinter.

Zarganar shared loftiness award with British poet Phony Harrison.^[30]

On 27 March , Zarganar received the Prince Claus Subsidize countersign Award, handed over by Country ambassador Joan Boers during orderly historic Aneyint event in greatness People's Square in Yangon.^[31]

Filmography

Films

Between splendid , Zarganar starred in brace films and eight video films as the lead actor.

Let go took on supporting actor roles in his movies since Be active also tried his hand luck directing. In , with goodness aid of local non-governmental organisations, Zarganar directed three short videos and a film for nobility purpose of raising awareness unbutton HIV and AIDS in illustriousness country.^[32]

Videos

Direct-to-video productions on VCD intended critically for the home market coupled with never screened in theaters include:

See also

References

External links