Watch: Tales of Southeast Asia: 'Beyond Rangoon' & 'The Impossible'
For Dreaming of: Being swept away by a coup or wave.
Films
Who doesn't love a trip gone horribly wrong – especially when you're watching from a far, popcorn in hand. These two films paint the perils of travel when confronted by a natural disaster or a sudden military coup.
“Beyond Rangoon” (1994) - An official selection of the Cannes Film Festival, Patricia Arquette stars as a tourist on vacation in 1988 Burma (Myanmar), who gets caught up in Democratic protests against the rising autocratic regime. Arquette meets with a fictionalized version of Aung San Suu Kyi before escaping through the jungle and across the border into Thailand. Despite the danger, the film depicts the country beautifully, and is a reason why Myanmar remains high on my travel bucket list. Unfortunately, the war is ongoing, and with the recent earthquake, it remains a place only to dream of from afar. Streaming on AppleTV, Amazon, Fandango, and YouTube.
“The Impossible” (2012) - Many of us remember the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in the Indian Ocean, where massive waves washed away the coastlines of 14 countries and killed a quarter of a million people. Some of Thailand's most glamourous beach resorts were central to the action. This film, starring Naomi Watts, recounts the story of an actual tourist that day in Khao Lak – and depicts what it was like to be swept away, and lose everything. Free to stream on Pluto.
Photo Source: Just Watch
Syllogi’s ‘Musings’ is a series helping you paint a picture of a destination while traveling from your living room. From relevant books and articles, inspiring movies and tv shows, to songs and even treats and dishes, our goal is to curate a sensory experience that will prepare you for an upcoming trip, reminiscence on adventures past, or simply to envision a place that exists in your bucket list fantasies.
