Ma Aeint () is a Burmese

filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

and writer, best known for her 2020 film, ''

Money Has Four Legs ''Money Has Four Legs'' (), is a 2020 Burmese comedy drama film. The film follows the journey of a young director who attempts to complete a feature film in Myanmar, and satirically depicts systemic issues in the country, including corruption an ...

''. In the wake of the

2021 Myanmar coup d'état A coup d'état in Myanmar began on the morning of 1 February 2021, when Elections in Myanmar, democratically elected members of the country's ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were deposed by the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's milita ...

, she was detained by the military junta on 5 June 2021 at

Insein Prison Insein Prison () is located in Yangon Division, near Yangon (Rangoon), the old capital of Myanmar (formerly Burma). From 1988 to 2011 it was run by the military junta of Myanmar, named the State Law and Order Restoration Council from 1988 to 2003 ...

, after becoming a target of the junta for her involvement in ''Money Has Four Legs''. While in custody, her legs were reportedly broken by interrogation authorities. In April 2022, she was sentenced under section 505A of Myanmar's Penal Code to 3 years of

hard labour Penal labour is a term for various kinds of forced labour that prisoners are required to perform, typically manual labour. The work may be light or hard, depending on the context. Forms of sentence involving penal labour have included inv ...

, after pleading not guilty. She was released from Tharyarwaddy Prison on 3 May 2023. Her sentencing was condemned by

PEN America PEN America (formerly PEN American Center), founded in 1922, and headquartered in New York City, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose goal is to raise awareness for the protection of free expression in the United States and worldwide th ...

and the international filmmaking community, including the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk, the

Directors Guild of Japan The is a trade union created to represent the interests of film directors in the film industry in Japan. It was founded in 1936, with Minoru Murata serving as the first president, and has continued to this day apart from a period between 1943 an ...

, eleven South Korean film festivals led by the

Busan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF; ), formerly the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), held annually in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festival, held fro ...

, and Southeast Asia Fiction Film Lab. In September 2022, actress

Julianne Moore Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress and children's author. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent ...

led a flash-mob protest at the

79th Venice International Film Festival The 79th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 31 August to 10 September 2022, at Venice Lido in Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Eur ...

, calling for the release of Ma Aeint and other imprisoned filmmakers.

References

{{Authority control Burmese producers People from Yangon Year of birth missing (living people) Burmese women writers Burmese prisoners and detainees Burmese film producers Burmese film directors Burmese film people Living people