The son of prominent cartoonist Pe Thein, Pe Maung Same was Born in Yangon in 1974. He developed his love for documentaries as an editor of newsreels and historical films at AV Media and produced his own VCD magazine, ‘Disc Diary.’
A participant in the very first YFS’s ‘The Art of Filmmaking Workshop’ in 2005, he has worked on many YFS productions, often as a cinematographer and mentor. As a trainer and mentor, he worked with Tagu Film, Loikaw Film, and Done Film, providing filmmaking workshops and mentorship support for young filmmakers from various backgrounds that include environmental activists, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ+ members.
Pe Maung Same receives film awards from Wathan film festival, Myanmar and international film festivals. Pe Maung Same’s renowned award winning films include; Like Father, Like Son, The River: Our Ayeyarwaddy, Samanera, and No Laughing Matter. He was co-director of the first feature-length documentary from Myanmar, Nargis—When Time Stopped Breathing (2010). Pe Maung Same is also the mentor of many award-winning films made by young filmmakers in Myanmar.
He was arrested in May 2022 and sentenced to three years in Loikaw Prison in Karenni State for “unlawful association.” Pe Maung Same passed away on the 19th of August 2024 at the age of 50, just three days after his medical parole from a junta prison, due to complications from spinal tuberculosis and the consequences of the regime’s abuse he suffered at the detention center in 2022.
PE MAUNG SAME | Documentary Filmmaker
1974-2024
