CHIARA LUXARDO

*A project in collaboration with Sara Magni* 

Yangon, Myanmar, 2017.

This is a story about love.

Love that can’t be revealed, love that is officially illegal, and love that is undercover in a country on its way to democracy after over fifty years of military dictatorship.

Through the personal experience of ten LGBTQ+ couples that decided to break the silence, this story explores the frailty and strength of “unconventional love” in Myanmar.

Within contemporary Burmese society, strongly based on heteronormativity and gender conformity, the daily life of non-normative couples is constantly threatened by discriminatory laws, social prejudices and religious beliefs that underpin their rights to enjoy civil and political freedoms, as well as social and economical opportunities.

During the so-called transition time, this project aims to create momentum for an open and gender-inclusive Myanmar society through the extraordinary testimony of love and courage of those who expose themselves to become change agents. 

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