From Myanmar... with Love - Project (video+photo+answers)

“From Myanmar… with Love”

The project is a 60-day journey across four cities in Myanmar, engaging 100 people with a single question:

“What is the meaning of love?”

While living in Yangon, the first thing I noticed was the kindness and warmth of the people. Walking through the streets, people smiled openly, were welcoming and helpful. Children laughed in the parks, and couples spent quiet, tender moments by the lakes.

This atmosphere became the inspiration for my question: What is love?

Across 100 responses, one idea appeared consistently:

Love is kindness, love is giving, love is understanding…

The project: «From Myanmar… with Love»

The Process

The project was developed over 60 days across four cities in Myanmar: Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake, and Mandalay. In each location, I asked people from different backgrounds the same question:

“What is the meaning of love?”

The Aim

The project holds both social and cultural significance. It explores how religion, ethics, and social values shape the understanding of love within a society. It also highlights cultural differences across regions of the same country, reflected in the diversity of responses.

Observations

• Younger people often used the numbers “528” to symbolize family love and “1500” to represent romantic love. These numerical associations are linked to Buddhist teachings and cultural interpretations.
• In the Myanmar language, there are two distinct words for “love”:
  • “Achi” – referring to romantic love between partners
  • “Mitta” – referring to parental or compassionate love
• Many responses described love as a state of mind rather than a spontaneous emotion.
• One reflection shared was:
  “If you build love with the heart, it will become your heart. If you build it with the mind, it will be kind to you.”
• In rural and economically challenged areas, several young people expressed reluctance toward romantic love or marriage, often due to family responsibilities and the need to care for their parents.

Throughout the journey, I was consistently met with hospitality and generosity. Monks offered tea and fruit, teachers welcomed conversations in their homes, and elders shared their reflections in pagodas.

One moment remained particularly strong: when a young girl asked me, “What about you? What is the meaning of love for you?” It was then I realized that…

«After all, Love is Life, without Life there is no Love and without Love there is no Life».

Exhibition & Recognition

On December 3, 2014, a photography exhibition was held, with proceeds donated to a local institution providing educational courses for homeless children.

The project was awarded at the International X Edition Florence Biennale (Italy, 2015), receiving First Prize in the Video Art category.

It has been exhibited in Yangon, Myanmar (2014) with the support of EU Delegation to Myanmar, and later at the Goethe-Institute in 2016.