The Independent’s Aung San Suu Kyi film recognised for ‘outstanding excellence’ in documentary awards

‘Cancelled: The Rise and Fall of Aung San Suu Kyi’ has been recognised for ‘outstanding excellence’ by Documentaries Without Borders

The Independent’s Aung San Suu Kyi documentary has received the “Outstanding Excellence” award at an international film festival.

Cancelled: The Rise and Fall of Aung San Suu Kyi looks at the life of the 80-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has become a deeply divisive and controversial figure internationally after failing to speak out on her country’s extreme violence against its Rohingya Muslim minority.

The film, released in December 2024, has been recognised by the Documentaries Without Borders awards for “Outstanding Excellence”, the third-highest honour in the Documentaries category.

It was written and directed by The Independent’s editor-in-chief Geordie Greig.

Contributors to the programme include former foreign secretary Lord Hague, Suu Kyi’s son Kim Aris and Sean Turnell, an Australian member of her cabinet who was imprisoned by the junta for almost two years.

The Independent’s Aung San Suu Kyi documentary has received the ‘Outstanding Excellence’ award at an international film festival (Getty)

The film triggered calls from three former foreign secretaries, Lord Hague, Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw, for her to be freed following her arrest on “trumped up” charges.

Suu Kyi, 80, has been in solitary confinement since the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, which plunged the country into conflict.

She was sentenced to 33 years on charges that have been widely condemned as politically motivated.

Suu Kyi faces a further 27 years under house arrest despite her declining health.