When Peter Newman arrived in Burma nearly half a century ago, the country had expanded its visa options from 24 hours to seven days.
“I was lucky enough to be among the earliest group of outsiders to take advantage of this opening,” he wrote, adding that it gave him the time to explore beyond the then-capital Rangoon.
Recording his journey through Burma, as well as Thailand, Nepal, northern India and Afghanistan, with a small 8mm film camera, his footage was limited to the amount of film stock he could carry.
The result is a rare 11-minute glimpse at a tranquil Inle Lake, colourful market scenes at Shan state capital Taunggyi, bathing, kite-flying and labouring on the banks of the Irrawaddy River, and a tour through Mandalay, where horse was seemingly the main means of transport.
The film was shot in 1971, around the same time as travel writer Paul Theroux was visiting the country for his book The Great Railway Bazaar, and just after the dictator Ne Win ordered everyone to start driving on the right-side of the road, supposedly on the advice of his soothsayer.
Watch the wonderful clip here.
