Cherry Ferry

A filmmaker returns from Taiwan to his native Myanmar—a nation with a bloody history that is once again suffering under a repressive military regime. He attempts to capture the soul of the country in atmospheric, tranquil scenes. Long, dreamy shots of snack vendors at work on the ferry and conversations with their families at home portray the daily lives of the many Myanmar citizens struggling with an uncertain existence.

In extended takes, his fly-on-the-wall camera records conversations among the women as they cook, care for babies, and manage the household budget. Is this the life he missed out on by leaving Myanmar? As he travels around the country, he follows news reports of the latest outbreaks of violence on his phone. The wandering filmmaker seems to epitomize a country adrift.

When the film’s producer later returns to shoot additional footage, they discover that the young vendors from the ferry are now married and have become mothers. These are glimmers of hope in a stunningly photogenic country, one to which the filmmaker himself will probably never be able to return.