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A Metamorphosis

Lin Htet Aung
Myanmar
17'

In the houses, after parting, Mothers were made up of tears. Sons were transformed into empty glass cups. And the lullabies became a curse. The film examines the suffering and resilience of the Burmese people by using the distinct political elements that have floated for several years on the ocean of political opera under repetitive military dictatorships in Myanmar.

Drawing on his country’s recent history — a Myanmar ruled by dictators and military juntas— and on the central role played by television in propaganda, filmmaker Lin Htet Aung hijacks the spaces of TV studios into an aesthetic experiment. Devoid of any faces and people, what glares through these empty broadcasts is the prop-like feeling of the studio set, with its vast colorful spaces, curtains, and ridiculous neoclassical columns, adding to a mix between post-apocalyptic horror and abstract poetry. Over these pixelated images, one single voice can be heard, seemingly repeating a mantra—it is nothing more than the voice of a former dictator haunting collective consciousness. It turns out, the voice is a digital ghost: by using AI software to put words into the mouth of this former leader, A METAMORPHOSIS rewrites the dynamics of control; the voice that once wanted to control the people is now the one being controlled. (Dora Leu)

Saturday, September 27, 18:00

Cinema Elvire Popesco
Tickets

Lin Htet Aung

Lin Htet Aung is a filmmaker and media artist from Myanmar. In his earlier days, he wrote avant-garde poems and published underground poetry books. He started making films in 2017. His short films have been selected at several international film festivals, and won several awards. In 2025, he won the Tiger Short Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. An alumnus of Berlinale Talents, Locarno Filmmakers Academy, Asian Film Academy, and a Prince Claus Seed Awardee 2023, he is now developing his debut feature, Making A Sea. After the coup in 2021, he joined the CDM (Civil Disobedience Movement) and is currently studying at Städelschule Art School, Germany.

  • Technical sheet
  • PRODUCED, WRITTEN, DIRECTED, EDITED, CGI, VFX, SOUND CAST: Lin Htet Aung
  • CO-PRODUCER, CONSULTANT: Yuzana No No
  • SOUND DESIGN, MUSIC: Wey Yinn Teo
  • DCP: EM Production

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A Metamorphosis

Lin Htet Aung | Duration 17'

In the houses, after parting, Mothers were made up of tears. Sons were transformed into empty glass cups. And the lullabies became a curse. The film examines the suffering and resilience of the Burmese people by using the distinct political elements that have floated for several years on the ocean of political opera under repetitive military dictatorships in Myanmar.

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