Feature film
Dou daung lan
Parot U Sunny · 1936
Synopsis
The title is that of the flag with the peacock. The dancing peacock was the emblem of the Konbaung kings, and the students of Rangoon had carried it on their strike flags since 1920; in 1936, the year of the film, their union adopted the fighting peacock. What the film showed is not described: it is known only by its title and by the ban that struck it.
Context
The Parrot company brought gambling and police corruption to the screen, and the British censors cut its films with care. This one was banned outright. The following year, another Burmese film, on the last days of King Thibaw, was likewise not authorised for cinemas. The peacock, emblem of the fallen monarchy, was taken up by the anticolonial movements: the title alone declared the film's side.
Who it is for
A film in Burmese, banned before it could be shown to the public; its value lies in what it says about colonial censorship.
Prizes and reception
Banned by the colonial administration, it features in histories of Burmese cinema because of the censorship.