The Art Of Escapism

Far away home, a young Burmese man now residing in Bangkok quietly struggles to cope with a new life that no longer feels like his own.

A poetic journey through memory, distance, and the things left unsaid.

A middle-class family in Myanmar runs a 20-liter water bottle delivery service, which provides a modest but stable income. Despite the ongoing civil war, they maintain a sense of routine and normalcy, finding comfort in their daily work and shared meals. Their lives, though surrounded by tension, feel grounded and secure. However, everything shifts when a new military service law is enacted, requiring the youth to enlist. Fearing for their children’s safety, the family makes a painful decision to send the young members abroad. As they face separation and growing uncertainty, they must adapt to the emotional and financial challenges of surviving in a country torn by conflict.

Ko Naing flees Myanmar to avoid the military service law and settles in Bangkok, a city known as a paradise for foreigners. But for him, life is far from ideal. As a Myanmar national, he struggles with prejudice and the irresponsible actions of his own people abroad. The rising inflation of Myanmar’s currency adds to his worries, while homesickness and loneliness begin to take their toll. His sense of reality starts to fade as he questions how long he can endure this uncertain and isolated life in a foreign land.