February 6, 2026 | 5:00 - 7:00 PM | 370 Dwinelle Hall
Film Screening & Discussion
What happens when non-violent leaders are pushed to support armed struggle against a brutal regime in a forgotten war?
IIS is pleased to partner with the UC Berkeley Institute of East Asian Studies (IEAS), Center for Southeast Asia Studies, and the Human Rights Center for the screening of Thabyay: Creative Resistance in Myanmar to explore this question and others pertaining to the current circumstances in Burma/Myanmar.
Myanmar is one of the deadliest conflict areas in the world, yet there is little international attention paid to the ongoing brutal oppression there, and to the courageous resistance to it. Thabyay: Creative Resistance in Myanmar follows four democracy revolutionaries who are finding creative means to fight against the military junta. Some take up arms while struggling to stay true to their commitment to non-violence, while others engage in “artivism,” using music, poetry, and art to bring about a peaceful, free, democratic, and truly inclusive future for all people in Myanmar. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A.
Moderator:
Penny Edwards, Professor of Southeast Asian Studies, Walter and Elise Haas Professor of Asian Studies, and Director of the Institute of East Asian Studies, UC Berkeley
Panelists:
- Jeanne Hallacy, Director, Thabyay
- Scot Marciel, Former US Ambassador to Burma/Myanmar, 2016-2020
- Naw Susanna Hla Hla Soe, Artist; Former NUG Minister of Women, Youths and Children Affairs
- Kenneth Wong, Lecturer, Burmese Language, UC Berkeley
Thabyay Information
Director Jeanne Hallacy
Producer Gregg Butensky
Total Running Time 62 minutes
Production Release September 2025
