Jade City is the nickname of the Burmese city Hpakant, the centre for the mining and trading of jade. This semiprecious stone is one of the most important sources of income in Burma. The jade industry, which was always in the hands of the military regime, has since 2012 been in the middle of a part of Burma where the Kachin Independence Army is fighting a civil war. As a result of the chaotic situation, many people now try to find jade at their own initiative in deserted mines. It’s a dangerous activity, because you could bump into one of the parties to the conflict and the un-maintained mines could collapse at any time. Relatives of the filmmaker/artist also sought their fortune around Jade City. He followed them into forbidden territory and recorded them with his camera, often at their own request. And his relatives look straight back at him. The shots date from the start of the Civil War. Apparently they needed to ripen to find this form.
