AUNG SAN SUU KYI, THE LADY

 YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE HEARD ABOUT HER AD BELIEVE ME IS WORTH IT FOR MANY THINGS. SHE IS KNOWN AS THE FEMININE NELSON MANDELA BUT SHE IS MORE THAN THAT, SHE IS A LADY, A LADY OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS STRUGGLE.

   AUNG SAN SUU KYI IS A BURMESE ACTIVIST FOR DEMOCRACY, ONE OF THE MOST CHERISHED HUMAN RIGHTS. SHE HAS SPENT MORE THAN A DECADE UNDER HOUSE ARREST AND HAS GONE O HUNGER STRIKES TO PROTEST AGAINST MILITARY RULE IN BURMA.

   ONE YEAR AGO, ON 13TH. NOVEMBER 2010, SHE WALKED FREE AFTER FIFTEEN YEARS ARREST IN HER RANGOON FAMILY HOUSE.

   IN THE 1990 GENERAL ELECTION, WHILE SHE WAS DETAINED UNDER HOUSE ARREST, HER NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY PARTY WON 59% OF THE NATIONAAL VOTES AND 81% OF THE SEATS IN PARLIAMENT. NEVERTHELESS, THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT DIDN'T ACCEPT THE RESULT AND GAVE HER THE OPTION OG GOING BACK TO THE U.K. WHERE, PREVIOUSLY IN EXILE, SHE STUDIED, MARRIED AND HAD TWO SONS. YET, SHE CHOSE TO STAY IN HER NATIVE COUNTRY FIGHTING FOR DEMOCRACY, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS DEPRIVED OF HER OWN FREEDOM.

   AUNG SAN SUU KYI WAS AWARDED THE NOBEL PRIZE IN 1991 WHILE JAILED AND SHE SACRIFIED HER FAMILY LIFE IN HER PURSUIT OF DEMOCRACY.

   WHEN HER HUSBAND, ACADEMIC MICHAEL ARIS, AN OXFORD PROFESSOR, WAS DYING OF CANCER, THE BURMESE MILITARY JUNTA DENIED HIM ENTRY TO SEE HIS WIFE FOR THE LAST TIME.

   FOR ALL OF THESE EXCEPTIONAL DEMOSTRATIONS OF COURAGE AND DEDICATION, FRENCH FILMAKER LUC BESSON MADE A MOVIE, THE LADY, DEDICATED TO SAN SUU, AND BY CALLING HER "THE LADY" HE PAID TRIBUTE TO THIS ICON OF DEMOCRACY.

   I SAW THE LADY ON 13TH SEPTEMBER AT TORONTO'S FILM FESTIVAL (TIFF) AND I WAS DEEPLY IMPRESSED. I KNEW ABOUT SAN SUU BUT I HAD NOT LEARNT BEFORE ABOUT HER FAMILY LIFE AND BESSON EXPLAINED IT TO ME IN A VERY EASY-GOING WAY.

   "THE LADY" WAS PLAYED AND PORTRAYED BY A MALAYSIAN-BORN ACTRESS, MICHELLE YEOH. BECAUSE SUU KYI WAS VERY SLENDER, YEOH HAD TO LOSE WEIGHT TO PLAY THE ROLE AND LEARN TO SPEAK BURMESE TO DELIVER A SPEECH IN KYI'S MOTHER-TONGUE. SHE PLAYED THE CHARACTER MAGNIFICIENTLY AND CONVINCINGLY.

   THE ACTRESS AND THE FILMMAKER WERE TURNED AWAY BY AUTHORITIES WHEN TRYING TO ENTER BURMA AND SO THE FILM WAS MADE IN THAILAND.

   FOR BESSON, AN IMPORTANT MOTIVATION FOR MAKING THE FILM WAS TO PUBLICIZE SUU KYI'S PLIGHT AND REMIND AUDIENCES THAT REAL DEMOCRACY IS STILL A LONG WAY OFF.

   ALL PEOPLE HAVE RESPONSABILITY FOR UPHOLDING AND ENSURING HUMAN RIGHTS REGARDELESS OF BORDERS, HUMAN RIGHTS ARE ALL OF OUR RIGHTS. NON INTERFERENCE IS ACTUALLY HARMFUL AND DAMAGING. THE WORST KIND OF INTERFERENCE.