Police look into local porn film

YANGON: Myanmar police said yesterday they have launched a criminal investigation into what producers describe as the first high-definition pornographic movie ever filmed in the socially conservative country.

Social media exploded this week when a trailer for the two-hour erotic movie, entitled The Violet of Myanmar, was posted on Facebook by the production company Art of Myanmar.

On Monday the firm said it was proud to have “launched Burma’s first ever HD” pornographic film and promised to bring more hardcore action soon.

They later said their Viber account crashed after it received more than 2,000 messages in 24 hours from eager customers. But the firm’s Facebook page was taken down two days later and police said yesterday they had opened an investigation into the production company.

“Myanmar police are now in the process of investigating to take action, especially the crime department,” the head of the force’s Communication and Technology Department, Col Tun Nay Win, said. He added that “the case is concerned with technology” but declined to give further details on what laws the company may have violated.

Owning “obscene” material is illegal in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where many people are deeply religious and even talking about sex is often considered taboo.

The actress in The Violet of Myanmar wears a surgical mask and has her face blurred throughout the film. Art of Myanmar said it cost 400,000 kyat (about 10,000 baht) to make the film, which was inspired by the protagonist’s bright purple traditional skirt.