By: Thwin Than Thar Nway, SFU Student
Content warning: Brief mention of suicide and homophobia.
War doesn’t just destroy homes, take lives, or displace millions. In Myanmar, the civil war has also tried to silence the soul of the country: its songs, its art, and, especially, its media. In 2021 — the same year the military junta staged a coup and plunged the country into violence — What Happened to the Wolf?, directed by Na Gyi, was set for release. Sadly, due to the director and lead actor’s dissent against the junta, it never reached the domestic audience on the big screen. It is now a symbol of resistance, not just because it explores mental health and queerness, but also because it was one of the last films produced before the military government retook power. Whilst the people of Myanmar never saw the film, it won international awards and is now premiering around the world.
Organized by the local Burmese community at the UBC Robson campus, many from the diaspora in Metro Vancouver crowded around the university theatre. I was greeted warmly in the usual Burmese manner as soon as I arrived. It was easy to feel welcomed when faced with Burmese hospitality.
The movie follows Wae (Paing Phyo Thu), a young woman with a terminal illness, and Moe (Eaindra Kyaw Zin), who was admitted to the hospital after attempting to take her own life upon discovering she had lung cancer. Eaindra Kyaw Zin’s role holds special meaning for Burmese audiences. A household name to many over the past decade, her portrayal of a queer Burmese woman adds a powerful layer to the film. The absence of an identity for queer Burmese women makes the sapphic representation in the film feel even more significant. In the Burmese language, there isn’t even a word for queer women and most common terms are used for all 2SLGBTQIA+ identities or are slang terms that err on the offensive. Although many queer Burmese men have historically used such slang to refer to themselves in the face of legal adversity and social stigma, queer women in the country do not even have such linguistic freedom, having no equivalent — even if they were slang — descriptions for them.
In a country where freedom of expression comes with the threat of persecution, What Happened to the Wolf? is a rare expression of Burmese art and queerness, full of beautiful shots that capture a time before the military’s reign of terror.
On the screen, Yangon — Myanmar’s main port and its former capital — unfolded with its gleaming glass towers jutting up beside older colonial relics, a visual echo of a country caught in transition. This rapid modernization of Myanmar during its brief democratic period is reflected in the characters as well, who can be seen styled in traditional Burmese longyi (လုံချည်) alongside co-stars dressed in Westernized clothing. The movie showed frames of Yangon as well as the beautiful rice fields and familiar highways in its suburbs. For many in the audience who have fled their homelands and uprooted their ancestries for considerably safer lives abroad, this was more than just a movie setting. It was a glimpse into a Myanmar that once felt within reach.
Wae and Moe’s bond unfolds slowly, often through shared music on a yellow Walkman, which becomes a recurring splash of colour that signals warmth and joy. A yellow detail subtly in nearly every scene they share, despite a quiet bloom in the shadow of death. Nevertheless, Burmese humour weaves through the heaviness, the script occasionally inciting laughter from the audience amidst heavy conversations. As the film progresses, death’s looming presence begins to soften into something acknowledged and no longer paralyzing. During shared moments of music and warmth, we see room for connection, choice and love even in the face of loss.
In a country where freedom of expression comes with the threat of persecution, What Happened to the Wolf? is a rare display of Burmese art and queerness, full of beautiful shots that capture a time before the military’s reign of terror. The success of this controversial film symbolizes the soul of Myanmar and the fight of its people, a spirit that has been beaten, but never faltered, even in the face of violence and death.
