Filmed in 2021, following the military coup in Myanmar, this mixed-media project shares stories, photos & reflections from people living in Mutraw, Karen State - as a dialogue between them, a local filmmaker & an anthropologist.

Mo Kho Pa Ya            

Mo Kho Pa Ya is a word in S’gaw Karen, the language of a group of people who refer to themselves as Pwa K’nyaw (or people). It broadly means: "that which was passed down by those who came before" or "heritage". The project speaks to the importance of land, territory and thus practices of subsistence & resilience amongst people living in a site of continued conflict in Southeastern Burma. The Karen speakers this project focuses on live in an area they call Kawthoolei, and view as their liberated homeland.

As a dialogue between a researcher & local filmmaker, the project aims to explore these themes through fragments, reflection and evocative imagery drawn from our research, practice and a collaborative filmmaking process. It is thus a personal dialogue, and the output hopes to share some of the dialogue - in parts through short edited film, collected materials, photographs and sound.