Ice Poison

Midi Z, Burma/Taiwan, 2014, 95 min, In Burmese with English Subtitles, Canadian Premiere

Winner, Best International Film, Edinburgh FF; Festival Prize and Press Award, Taipei FF

A farmer from an impoverished village in Burma moves to the city and pawns his cow for a moped to earn a living as a taxi driver. He meets Sanmei, a young woman who has returned to Burma to attend his grandfather’s funeral. To get out of an arranged marriage she decides not to go back to China. The two are lured into the lucrative business of selling ice poison (crystal meth) around town.

“With three feature films under his belt, Burmese-Taiwanese director, Midi Z, has developed a naturalistic cinematic language that allows a documentary-like intimacy with his characters. In his latest work, he has crafted a measured drama that balances the daily hardships faced by many in Myanmar with moments of joy shared by his characters—from the glowing neon lights of a karaoke bar to the freedom of the open road, and the tainted promise of the drug that allows for a fleeting escape but threatens to continue their cycle of poverty.” – Ian Hollander, Tribeca Film Festival

Link to trailer here: