A film crew works near Inya Lake. Pic: Aye Zaw Myo

IGNORING the glaring sun, a crowd of people has gathered on the banks of Inya Lake in central Yangon. However, they are focused not on the beauty of the lake’s waters but on a small group of filmmakers working on a local movie.

The work-in-progress is called Heartbroken Comedian (a thae kware lu shwin taw), the latest project of popular director Nyo Min Lwin.

Also on the scene is supporting actor Ko Zaw Zaw Aung, who says that although he and the other crewmembers do not mind working in front of onlookers, they would prefer to shoot inside or at least in a small town.

“It’s fun to shoot outdoors, but to do that we have to think about the weather situation,” he says.

But the weather isn’t the only difficulty faced on outdoor sets, he adds. Other challenges include keeping the spectators quiet and dealing with late-arriving film crews.

“When we’re shooting in Yangon, most of the crews don’t show up when they’re supposed to because they’re working on two or three movies at the same time,” Ko Zaw Zaw Aung says. “But when we travel to others towns to shoot, we don’t have this problem.”

Another supporting actor, Ko Nay Lin, agrees, explaining: “When we work in other towns, we all stay in the same place, so the whole crew arrives on location at the same time.”

Crewmembers say that people who have never participated in a film shoot might think it would be a fun way to pass the time, but in reality making a movie can be a painstaking and tedious process where scenes often have to be shot again and again until they’re perfect.

During a day of shooting, actors who are not participating in the particular scene being shot at any given time usually overcome their boredom by sleeping.

Some actors describe the days spent on location as passing by as slowly as molasses. Breakfast and lunch seem ages apart, but when lunch does come, the stars are no longer the centre of attention. All eyes fall upon the caterer.

When lunchtime approaches during the shoot on the banks of Inya Lake, everyone gravitates towards a middle-aged woman who, with a tired but friendly look on her face, doles out big bowls of rice and curry to a crew ravenous from a long morning of work.

“I’ve been selling food at film shoots for a long time and I like it,” says the caterer, Daw Myint Thein. “It’s more like a family than running a business. I have to go places with them and it’s fun to move along with them. Though it would be hard for us to move around carrying pots and pans, the movie crews help us out and it is more like being on a trip.”

One of the spectators, 21-year-old university student Ma Aye Aye, says seeing the film shoot is a unique experience that she’ll never forget.

“I’ve never seen a movie star like Tun Tun in person but now I have the chance to see him close up and take a picture with him,” she says.

Movie fans aren’t the only happy people on the scene. Nearby photographers are quick to take advantage of the business opportunities the film shoot offers.
Ko Tun Tun, a photographer who makes his living taking pictures of people on the banks of Inya Lake, says film shoots can be a goldmine for people like him.
“Most of the onlookers want to have their picture taken with the movie stars so they ask us to take the pictures for them,” he says.

However, not everyone on the scene is happy. With some of the shooting taking place on the road and thereby disrupting traffic patterns, many taxi drivers say they feel such activities are a burden.

“Shooting in a park or other place doesn’t affect me but when they shoot on the road, sometimes it causes a traffic jam,” says taxi driver Ko Soe Paing. “So I would say that I am not really happy with some of the shootings.”

However, Ko Soe Paing’s grumblings turn to a smile a few moments later when one of the movie fans approaches to negotiate a ride downtown, showing that film shoots provide incomes not only to movie stars but also to local businesses.

And the joy they give to onlookers, well, that can’t be measured in mere kyats.