The military leaders of Myanmar (Burma) have promised general elections late 2010 and the start of a reconciliation process. Although one can have serious doubts about the intentions of the junta, reconciliation is endorsed by most people in Burma and the international community. It will be crucial to change Burma into a democracy. But what kind of reconciliation is possible in Burma, and can we learn from similar processes of unification in other countries?These are the questions that drive the young Burmese camporter ‘Z’ to fly around the world and visit five former dictatorships. This documentary follows him on his journey. Armed with a small DV camera he visits five countries that experienced regime change after a dictatorship: Indonesia, South-Africa, Iraq, the Czech Republic and Cambodia. He interviews prominent human rights activists, like Desmond Tutu, visits places where history was made and tries to understand why the generals in Indonesia still rule the country, why the Kurds in Iraq don't care about reconciliation and why the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia still deny their genocide. The story of Z’s journey is intertwined with his personal story. We learn about his past, his struggle, his present situation and his plans for the future. All these ingredients lead to a exciting journey through the recent history of regime change and reconciliation, through the mind of a young exile camporter and through the process of making documentaries on a shoe string.
DVD, 83 mins