Independent TV, The Independent’s dedicated video platform, has launched a feature length documentary which explores Myanmar political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi’s rise to prominence and subsequent fall from grace. Written and directed by The Independent’s editor-in-chief Geordie Greig, the documentary asks whether the negative perception of Suu Kyi makes her an early case of cancel culture, despite her years fighting oppressive authorities and jail time in the name of democracy.
Titled Cancelled: The Rise and Fall of Aung San Suu Kyi, the film includes contributions from the likes of Helena Kennedy KC, Aung San Suu Kyi’s son Kim Aris and William Hague, Foreign Secretary from 2010-15. In the film, Hague calls Suu Kyi a “force for democracy” who is in jail on “trumped-up charges”.
According to The Independent, Greig takes an unbiased look at Suu Kyi’s rise and fall. Greig himself said: “I hope this documentary will help to raise awareness of the plight of Aung San Suu Kyi, who is at risk of being forgotten. The cancellation of Suu Kyi is a complex issue and we ask the viewer to make their mind up on it. What is certain is that she has never stopped fighting for democracy and freedom in her country and is the last beacon of hope there against a military dictatorship. The most prominent female political prisoner should not be in jail on trumped up charges.”
Cancelled marks the latest significant investment in original programming for Independent TV. Last year, the platform hit the milestone of 100 million video views per month. Cancelled is its third long-form documentary, after Bel Trew’s film about Russian war crimes in Ukraine, The Body In The Woods and The A-Word, which tells the stories of women impacted by changing abortion laws in the US.
Al Brown, The Independent’s head of content, said: “In a media environment which is often obsessed with what’s new, this documentary gives viewers a chance to reflect upon whether the international community’s response to what happened in 2019 was justified. Through archive footage and interviews with those close to Aung San Suu Kyi and working in improving the lives of Myanmar’s people, Cancelled provides a potent reminder of how the world felt about Aung San Suu Kyi and her current plight.”
