That is the way I am

11:11 minute 

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‘After I told the truth, I felt like a bird flying in the air.’ The documentary That’s the Way I Am tells the story of Phyo Thit Luu, who lives an out-and-proud life as a gay man and as an LGBT rights activist in Yangon. Through his work, he hopes to create a more accepting environment for future generations of LGBT people in Myanmar, a country where same-sex relations are still criminalized.

He was a hard-won freedom. Brought up by his mother and grandparents, he originally tried to hide his sexuality but felt restricted. Only after coming out to friends did he feel free. But his journey is still incomplete – he still wishes to be able to tell his mother about his sexuality.

This is an intriguing documentary film for its debut director, Khin Thethtar Latt, who creates an intimate and visually experimental narrative approach to LGBT issues in a country where they are still taboo. The film was produced out of the Rainbow Reels documentary filmmaking workshop and premiered at the first Yangon LGBT &PROUD Film Festival in 2014.

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Screening at &PROUD, LGBT Film Festival, Yangon, Myanmar, November 2014

Screening in several cities in Myanmar, January – May 2015

Screening at KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, India, May 2015

Screening at Stockholm Film Festival, Sweden, 2015

Screening at Bangalore Queer Film Festival, India, 2015

Screening at Madrid LGBT Film Festival, Spain, October 2015