Song of Souls
- Directed by: Sai Naw Kham
- Released: 2024 (educational)
- Year of Production: 2023
In Shan State, a region steeped in a rich cultural heritage that borders China, Laos and Thailand, folk singer Nan Mya Han is renowned for a mesmerising voice that has echoed across the lush and verdant countryside, captivating audiences for decades. Sai Naw Kham’s richly atmospheric feature debut captures the singer in later years, reflecting on the deep sense of loss that pervades her community due to an ongoing civil war; through her metaphorical verses, she expresses the pain and sorrow of a people battered by the ruinous politics of the region. Interspersed with performances by the artist, Song of Souls documents rituals around healing, death and birth that are intrinsic to Shan culture, giving a window into the complex tapestry of beliefs and traditions that shape so many lives.
Sai Naw Kham made his first foray into directing in 2014 whilst a beginner student at Yangon Film School with The Crocodile Creek, a short film which merged myth and memory to explore present-day environmental issues in Myanmar’s Yangon River. For his next film, 32 Souls (YFS, 2015), he travelled to his native Shan to portray one woman’s memories in this war-torn part of Myanmar. Following its international premiere at DOK Leipzig in 2016, this film went on to screen to acclaim at festivals including Busan in Korea and at Kathmandu’s Film South Asia Festival in Nepal. In 2020, he directed a short drama, The Forgotten Voices of the Mekong, which has screened at a number of festivals as part of an anthology film entitled ‘Mekong 2030’. Song of Souls is his first feature-length documentary.
Host a Screening and Book the Filmmaker at your Event