Shin Daewe: A Pioneering Female Documentarian of Myanmar
In Myanmar, filmmaking has long been male-dominated, but figures like Shin Daewe have made significant contributions that challenge this norm. Born in 1973 in Yangon, Shin Daewe (originally named Cho Cho Hnin) began using her pen name while studying at Yangon University, where she wrote poems and stories. Dissatisfied with the limits of written expression, she transitioned to documentary filmmaking in 1997.
Between 1997 and 2000, she worked as an assistant producer at Myanmar’s first private documentary company, Audio Visual (AV) Media, gaining essential experience. Her documentary journey continued in 2006 at Yangon Film School, a Berlin-based nonprofit, where she honed her skills and collaborated with Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) from 2005 to 2010. Shin Daewe’s work has always reflected a deep love for Myanmar and a desire to share the authentic voices and struggles of her people with the world.
Her passion for truth-telling has led her to document Myanmar's political realities. One of her notable works, “Take Me Home” (2013), captures the plight of displaced Kachin refugees affected by ongoing war since 2011. This powerful film earned the Best Documentary Award at the 2013 Wathan Film Festival. The following year, she won the same award with “Now I'm 13”, which tells the story of Ma Aye Khong, a young girl yearning for education amid hardship. This film also received a Silver Award at the 2014 Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival.
In addition, her documentary “Brighter Future”, which focuses on the education efforts at Phaung Daw-U Monastic Education, won Best Documentary at The Art of Freedom Film Festival in 2009. Over her career, Shin Daewe has created more than ten documentaries, many of which have been screened internationally. Her work gives voice to those living in challenging conditions and provides a window into real-life struggles in Myanmar.
In 2024, Shin Daewe received the prestigious Wallis Annenberg Women's Journalist Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF). This award honors female journalists facing unjust imprisonment, recognizing her as a trailblazer in Myanmar’s documentary field. In October 2023, Shin Daewe was arrested under Myanmar's Anti-Terrorism Act while picking up a drone for filming. The military tribunal sentenced her to life imprisonment in Insein Prison. Her last work for Radio Free Asia (RFA), “Cliff Collapse and Social Impact”, won a Gracie Award in Hollywood, underscoring her impactful storytelling.
The IWMF acknowledged Shin Daewe’s pioneering contributions alongside three other female journalists from Palestine, Ecuador, and the United States, honoring her resilience and commitment to telling her country's stories even in the face of adversity.
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