Set in an active conflict zone, Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing’s fascinating debut feature follows the fragile relationship between Hla, a Buddhist midwife who runs a clinic in Myanmar, and her friend and apprentice, Nyo Nyo, a Muslim who belongs to the persecuted Rohingya community. When Nyo Nyo takes steps to open her own clinic, the stakes are raised.
More than midwives, Hla and Nyo Nyo struggle to provide medical assistance to everyone who comes through the clinic’s doors. And Nyo Nyo isn’t just eager to assist her community — becoming a midwife will allow her to be financially independent. Shooting in Myanmar’s remote Rakhine state, Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing’s finely observed debut was filmed over five years and is a story of heartbreaking compassion.
Director Biography
Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing grew up in the Rakhine state. After attending the Yangon Film School and the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, she worked as a freelance filmmaker, both in Myanmar and internationally. She directed the documentary shorts Burmese Butterfly (2012) and PERIOD@PERIOD (2016). Midwives (2022) is her debut feature.
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