Moustache Brothers
Despite spending years in a labour camp, one comedy group from Myanmar is still using humour as a weapon of protest.
Filmmakers: Isaac Carne and Georgie Mattingley
Par Par Lay, the leader of “The Moustache Brothers” comedy group, spent years building roads and beating stones after he was sent to a labour camp for criticising Myanmar’s totalitarian military regime.
The group used to be one of Myanmar’s most popular traditional comedy acts, but their colourful show took a political turn when they fell foul of the authorities in 1996 for making fun of the military junta during a performance to mark Independence Day.
Par Par Lay and Lu Zaw were arrested and sentenced to seven years imprisonment, sparking worldwide appeals for their release. They were sent to a labour camp and freed after five years.
After their release Par Par Lay and his group emerged from the bitter experience even more emboldened and daring in their criticism of the government.
Having been officially banned from performing publicly, the brothers have now found a way to continue their act by staging it for tourists in the family’s house in Mandalay.