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Thirty talented photographers. Seven days. One remarkable country. The assignment was daunting, but the results are stunning. Enjoy the efforts of this project in the outstanding pictorial essay book 7 Days in Myanmar.

In 2013, from April 27 to May 4, an unlikely amalgam of camera-wielding men and women hailing from 11 different countries dispersed throughout the nation of Myanmar, a country largely isolated from the world for decades. Their assignment was to capture images from north to south, of the country, its landscapes, its culture, and its people, and in so doing to paint a picture of what this Southeast Asian country embodies. The large-format coffee table book, 7 Days in Myanmar, is a pictorial journey of a nation long hidden from the world.

Through the downtown streets of Yangon and the handicraft centres of Mandalay, above the temple-dotted plains of Bagan, on the waters of Inle Lake, inside border towns and hilltribe villages, and all the way to the furthest reaches of the north and south, these intrepid photographers created a portrait of a nation full of natural beauty, old-world charm, deep spirituality, and new hope. Much has changed in Myanmar, and the change has been vigorously embraced.

Indeed, not long ago, a book like this would not have been possible. One of the nine Burmese photographers involved with this book, commented on the newfound freedom in the Myanmar today and its profound contrast with even recent history. “In the past, photojournalists led scary lives,” says Kaung Htet. “We feared that someone might come and knock on the door in the middle of the night, and we would never be seen again.” For many of the international photographers participating, the work behind 7 Days in Myanmar represented the first opportunity for them to move freely about the country, a place where in the past, cameras and film had been treated as contraband, forcing photographers and even tourists to frequently resort to subterfuge and stealth in order to capture their images.

In addition to the over 300 original images in the book, 7 Days in Myanmar also includes a foreword by Burmese historian Dr Thant Myint-U, an introduction to Myanmar by AP veteran journalist Denis Gray, a fascinating essay on 19th-century photography in colonial Burma by British Library historian John Falconer, captions by historian Dr Thaw Kaung and journalist Patrick Winn, and a look behind-the scenes by the book’s General Editor Nicholas Grossman. Moreover, the book is also bundled with a DVD that features a 47-minute documentary on the making of the book.

For anyone interested in Myanmar, or for those who have simply leafed through a National Geographic and marvelled at the photos of different peoples and faraway lands, 7 Days in Myanmar is an outstanding collectible book. With 276 pages and a large-format size of some 35cm x 28cm, this is a hardcover treasure you’ll be pleased to not only display, but to look through again and again.

7 Days in Myanmar is published by Editions Didier Millet and is available at fine bookstores throughout Malaysia. For more information, visit www.7daysinmyanmar.com

Source: The Expat Magazine March 2014

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