The Best Friend member Ashin
Kovida attended the Movies that Matter filmfestival (former Amnesty
International filmfestival) in The Netherlands on Thursday 25 March.
The festival hosts special
educational film screenings for students and school pupils. These screenings
are followed by more in depth discussions with the filmmakers or other guests.
Ashin Kovida was one of the
guests to talk to the students after the screenings of Burma VJ. Both
screenings of the film were attended by more than 100 students from Amsterdam.
Together with Dutch radio journalist Egbert Hermsen – who works for
broadcasting corporation IKON and gave journalist training on behalf of Free
voice to the DVB in Thailand at the beginning of this year.
Ashin Kovida talked about the
monks’ protests and the situation inside Burma. The students were enthusiastic
and because of the information they had received prior to watching the film,
were aware of the situation in Burma. They asked good questions and were
interested in meeting a real Burmese monk. At the end of the discussions,
support-the-monk-pins were handed out. These were very well received!
As one very cool rapper-boy,
slouched on his cinema seat, wearing a cap and his jeans baggy, said to U
Kovida: “I’m impressed with the film and your story. I will talk to all my
buddies about this!”
By Elke Kuijper
