Poor Folk

Part of Homecoming Myanmar: A Midi Z Retrospective (March 6 - 13, 2015)

Poor Folk

Directed by Midi Z
2012. Taiwan/Myanmar. 105 min. DCP. English subtitled.
Cast: Wu Ke-Xi, Wang Shin-Hong

A-hong and San-mei, both from Myanmar, live a parallel existence crisscrossing the metropolis of Bangkok and the remote border town Dagudi. To earn enough money to free his younger sister who has been sold to human traffickers, A-hong tries his hand at the drug trade. To earn the ID required to settle in Taiwan, San-mei works for a gang boss who promises to open doors. Inspired by a true story the filmmaker heard while traveling through the Myanmar/Thai border several years ago, Poor Folk vividly portrays a harrowing world filled with displaced migrants, human traffickers, drug dealers, and prostitutes all struggling to survive.

Watch the trailer:

Read Asia Society's exclusive interview with Midi Z

Read Asia Society's exclusive interview with actress Wu Ke-Xi

Support for this series is provided in part by Taipei Cultural Center of TECO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office) in New York.

This film series is part of Myanmar's Moment, a season of programming on Myanmar at Asia Society, New York.