Live footage by Burmese vj's document the monks' dramatic uprising in September 2007 in Anders Østergaard's "Burma VJ", winner of a new annual award honouring "world changing films".
"This film stood out for the intensity with which it captured the selfless courage of those who stand up to power," the jury notes. "Its impact will be felt way beyond its immediate geographical and political context, to inspire and strengthen the resolve of everyone who fights for a fairer world, today and in the years to come."
"Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country" was granted the Jury Commendation for its Social Impact. The main prize, the PUMA.Creative Impact Award, went to Rupert Murray's "The End of the Line".
The shortlist also included "The Age of Stupid", "The Reckoning: The Battle for the International Criminal Court", and "Trouble the Water".
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Anders Østergaards' film is winner of more than 50 international awards and honours, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
In August, "Burma VJ" was selected as number 44 on Morgan Spurlock and Current TV's list of the most influential documentaries of the last 25 years. Spurlock is also among the five jury members of the PUMA.Creative Impact Award.
Get the full list at 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die
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