CONTINUOUS noises – music from shops; people chatting; whistles blowing. Movement, constant movement – young men and women wondering about; children riding on fake jeeps or animal statues. Families – boys pleading with fathers for a new toy; girls gazing at the dolls in the window. Food – fried snacks and mohingar (rice noodle soup) and boiled corn. Images of traditional pagoda festivals, these were all scenes from well-known artist Nyein Chan Su’s video documentary shown at Mr Guitar Café in Bahan township on May 2.
While some artists tried similar ideas years ago, this piece, titled Who is …?, was the first video art lasting a full 33 minutes in Myanmar, said Nyein Chan Su, 30.

It was also his first exposure with the genre.

“In the world, many young artists are trying different media to express their thoughts and ideas. I also like to express the feelings and ideas of a contemporary artist in Myanmar,” he said.

“Video art is just a kind of art that uses a video camera as the medium to say what we want to say…This is the first time I tried this new medium.”

Nyein Chan Su said he chose the subject of pagoda festivals because even though many Myanmar people may be very familiar with them, “for a foreigner or those who don’t know our culture, the scenes are fantastic.”

On describing the directing of the film, he said it felt similar to a video shooting. He worked with lighting, altered the set and hand picked props.

Nyein Chan Su said he was satisfied with his work, but he does not know how others will respond.

“It is everyone’s right to feel a certain way about art as they like. I don’t know what the feedback will be,” he said.

But not knowing how his audience will react will most likely not affect his future decisions about creating original pieces.

“Whenever the mood comes to me, I will get up and make it at once,” he said.
Nyein Chan Su, who won second prize in the Myanmar Contemporary Art Awards 2004 last February for his work Guardian, began this documentary about four months ago. It takes place at Kyaik Waing Pagoda festival in Mayangone township. He and cameraman K Thaung used a Beta Cam camera.