Filmed over five turbulent years, Hnin Ei Hlaing’s remarkable feature debut explores life in Myanmar through the interlinked lives and stories of two courageous women – an unlikely duo who unite to bring forth life in this troubled and widely misunderstood country. 

Hla, a Buddhist, is the owner of a makeshift medical clinic in western Myanmar, where the Rohingya Muslim minority community has long been denied the basic rights of citizenship. Nyo Nyo acts as an assistant, translator and apprentice midwife at the clinic – but she’s also a Muslim, and her family are still considered intruders in an area where they’ve lived for generations. Encouraged by Hla, who risks her own safety by helping Muslim patients, Nyo Nyo resolves to become a steady health care provider for her community. Filled with love, empathy, and hope, Midwives offers a unique view of the complex reality of Myanmar and its people.