Christian Caryl from Foreign Policy has penned a useful piece about Burma VJ‘s Oscar nomination for best documentary feature. Caryl’s discussion of “authentic” reconstructed scenes, motivated by Andrew Marshall’s tough review, wades into the murky waters of Burma reportage. I note that Marshall has introduced an intriguing Thailand comparison in more recent critical commentary on Burma VJ‘s journalistic merits. His argument requires some considered reflection, but I am pleased to see that other perspectives have also been aired.

Views from New Mandala readers who have seen the film are, of course, very welcome here. Perhaps some of our journalist colleagues who work in Thailand and Burma could offer their thoughts on Burma VJ‘s controversial presentation.