Irrawaddy Mon Amour

Young street vendor Soe Ko lives in a small village on the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar. He’s in love with Saing Ko, a quiet mason from another village, and dreams of a wedding with all the trimmings: beautiful clothes, jewelry and makeup. But Myanmar is governed by a military regime and marriage between two men is strictly forbidden. Homosexuality isn’t accepted and many homosexuals suffer stigmatization and discrimination. In this particular little community, however, there is an exceptional, small circle that does welcome homosexuals. There are regular meetings at which young people can tell their sometimes-heartrending stories of exclusion by family and other villagers, and find support within the group. Among them are a human rights activist, a schoolteacher, a shaman and a beautician. They decide to make a marriage between the two young lovers a reality. The film follows and observes them closely during the preparations for the wedding. Even though everything has to be done in secret, they receive help from all sides. Housewives from the village prepare a wedding meal and Buddhist monks perform the official ceremony. The wedding cumulates in an exuberant celebration that shows that love refuses to be oppressed.