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Friends in High Places

Directed by Lindsey Merrison.
Myanmar/Germany/Switzerland, 2001, video, color, 86 min.
Burmese with English subtitles.

Somewhere between spirits and gods there are nats, those who suffered untimely deaths at the hands of ancient Burmese kings. Nats are believed to possess formidable powers, among them the ability to foretell the future and to cure health ailments. Weaving together dramatic performance and intimate interviews, this impressionistic portrayal of several seers offers unique insight into how nat culture provides both spiritual comfort and an outlet from daily life under a harsh political regime. The film was shot clandestinely in Yangon, the capital of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma).

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