Friends in High Places
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Lindsey Merrison
Lars Barthel
Annegret Fricke
Lindsey Merrison
Marc Von Stuerler
Stewart Young
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Decades of isolation and corruption under the iron-fisted rule of dictator General Ne Win have caused Burma (now known as Myanmar) to plummet from being one of Asia's richest countries to one of the world's poorest nations. But beneath the continued oppression and misgovernment in Burma lies the vibrant world of the cult of the nat. Nats are somewhere between gods and spirits who suffered untimely deaths as victims of the injustice of Burmese kings of yore. At the mercy of an arbitrary junta themselves, it's not hard for the Burmese to identify with these supernatural figures and so, in spite of the fact that more than 80% of the Burmese population is Buddhist, belief in this ancient cult is still widespread. At the centre of this world are spirit mediums - often homosexuals - known as nat kadaw. The film takes us on a journey into the nat cult and into the lives of several mediums.
Director
Lindsey Merrison
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 2002
Released in United States February 2002
Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (Panorama/ market) February 6-17, 2002.
Released in United States 2002
Released in United States February 2002 (Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (Panorama/ market) February 6-17, 2002.)
