Maja is proud of the 16 coils of brass around her neck that distinguish her as a ‘long neck’ Kayan woman from Burma. But after 20 years of living on display and constantly being photographed in a tourist village in Thailand, the rings are becoming more a trap than a source of pride. When a chance meeting with an Australian filmmaker puts a video camera in her hands, she decides to turn the lens around and make a film about what it means to live in a ‘human zoo’. The process turns her life on its head and forces her to choose between tradition and rebellion.
Maja is proud of the 16 coils of brass around her neck that distinguish her as a ‘long neck’ Kayan woman from Burma. But after 20 years of living on display and constantly being photographed in a tourist village in Thailand, the rings are becoming more a trap than a source of pride. When a chance meeting with an Australian filmmaker puts a video camera in her hands, she decides to turn the lens around and make a film about what it means to live in a ‘human zoo’. The process turns her life on its head and forces her to choose between tradition and rebellion.
Shalom Almond
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