When Myanmar finally welcomes its first presidential election, Xing-Hong, a Burmese construction worker in Taiwan, returns home with hopes that change will come to his country. But when Xing-Hong is back in his village, he feels like a stranger in a distant land. Many young people yearn to work abroad in search of a better life, such as his brother, who sets out for Malaysia as soon as his passport arrives. Drifting between worlds seems to be the only fate of Burmese people.

Return to Burma was the first feature film shot in Myanmar. During the time of filming, Myanmar’s presidential election had just ended; however, the democracy was far from thriving, the government only allowed limited foreign press into the country. As a result, director Midi Z had to shoot this semi-autobiographical homecoming story without official permission, with only minimal equipment and crew. Since this film, Midi Z’s minimalist aesthetics have gradually taken shape, including unstable shots, filmmaking flexibility, slow-paced narration, and fly-on-the-wall cinematography. With his signature style and Third World subjects, “Midi Z” is regarded as a rising auteur in the international film world.

DVD source：Taiwan Cinema Toolkit,Ministry of Culture, R.O.C.