Klabautermann
From the first moment to the last scene of Mergui, you can really see that the director Sandor Poppinga cares for this subject as he infused it with a lot of detail and emotion. The entire crew should be congratulated, and most especially the cinematographers.
The film concerns Myanmar, also known as Burma. It acts as a beautiful homage to the country, and a realistic depiction of both its wonders and issues. The film is very diverse thematically speaking, but in my opinion it succeeds the most as an ecological cautionary tale.
That is most evident in its third act which shines the light on an unfortunately huge problem of overfishing and destroying the marine environment of this country. It was heartbreaking to realize that, and as an animal activist at heart and a biology enthusiast, I strongly empathized with the movie and its wonderfully environmental message.
The focus on animals appealed to me, and it was presented through stunning underwater photography that offers a superb look at incredibly rich and diverse coral reefs of this part of the world. Some scenes surrounding the fish and the marine mammals are long, but incredibly profound in their majesty. You cannot help but marvel at all of this natural beauty.
So yes, the landscapes are stunning and beautifully captured thanks to superb cinematography, and in particular amazing aerial takes throughout. The film is also phenomenally directed, very well edited and overall well-paced. The narration is also very clear, warm and satisfactory. The same goes for the score which is heartwarming, at times fittingly traditional and always accompanying the imagery on screen very deftly.
The film is very professional and it acts as a great political and history lesson on Myanmar in its first act. It also offers a glimpse into the region’s cuisine, and the high importance of fishing there. But the standout of the film is its look into the Moken people.
The Moken are an Austronesian people of the Mergui Archipelago. Hunter-gatherers in tune with their environment, they are now in danger as they number only around two thousand individuals. The movie is at its most strikingly revelatory and intriguing when exploring these people and their way of life which is inspirational in simplicity and knowledge as well as strong care for their immediate natural surroundings and animals.
The movie showcases their traditions, their boating and seeing boats as nuclear families as well as their nomadic marine life by boat which is getting increasingly endangered these days. It was also fascinating witnessing their numerous adjustments to the water ecosystem and how they truly care about it.
I would have liked to have seen more interviews with these people themselves as the film was somewhat lacking in that regard, but in terms of narration, it was excellent as it never overstayed its welcome and the film relied so heavily on gorgeous photography and score which was perfect in this example as it led to a really beautiful, moody cinematic experience.
The film ended with the take on tourism which is quickly developing in this region. Yes, ecotourism has a lot of potential and the income that the inhabitants of these islands can get from it is of course important, but first they need to get proper training in regards to skills and also experience in this sector.
In the end, that’s a welcome new development, and one can only hope that the ecological situation and the living conditions of the Moken people become better in the future, but for now Mergui can very firmly stand as a wonderfully cinematic, heartwarming and beautifully shot exploration of Myanmar and Moken people that needs to be seen by more people as it offers some valuable lessons along the way, and a great, necessary glimpse at rarely seen subjects.
