Culture news and discussion on TalkFuse.
‘Fruit Gathering’ Director on Exploring ‘Conditional’ Female Connection and Bringing the First Myanmar Premiere to Karlovy Vary
"Fruit Gathering", the debut feature from Myanmar director and writer Aung Phyoe, is premiering at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival as part of the Crystal Globe competition, making it the first film from Myanmar to screen at the event. Set in contemporary Myanmar, the film follows the friendship that develops between two young women working at a textile factory in Yangon over roughly a year and a half, deliberately focusing on quiet intimacy and alienation rather than the wider social impact of their relationship.
Phyoe, who began developing the script through Locarno's Open Doors co-production platform in 2020, said he was drawn to exploring affection and kindness beyond one's family, describing such bonds as "precious" yet "conditional". The Myanmar–Czech–French co-production was shot by cinematographer Thaiddhi in a 4:3 aspect ratio, a choice Phyoe found challenging as it prevented conventional close-ups. He drew on women in his own life for inspiration, noted that closeness and queerness between women are more openly accepted in Myanmar than among men, and reflected on the difficulty of making films there, where support is scarce and political themes must be handled subtly.
Explained simply
"Fruit Gathering" is a debut feature film from Myanmar director Aung Phyoe that is premiering at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, marking the first time a film from Myanmar has been selected for the festival. The film follows the developing friendship between two young women working at a textile factory in Yangon, Myanmar, over roughly a year and a half.
The film is a co-production bringing together filmmakers from Myanmar, Czech Republic, and France, and was shot by cinematographer Thaiddhi using a 4:3 aspect ratio. Phyoe found this format technically challenging as it prevented conventional close-ups, yet it helped him focus the story on quiet intimacy rather than the broader social dimensions of his characters' relationship.
Phyoe has described the bonds between women beyond family as precious yet "conditional," and drew inspiration for the film from women in his own life. In Myanmar, closeness between women is more openly accepted than it is between men, although making films there presents particular challenges due to limited industry support and the need to approach certain themes with subtlety.
Art Culture Entertainment Film Paranormal Weird & Viral