’ve been thinking about an old film these days.
‘Jacob the Liar’
The film was released in 1999. It was directed by Peter Kassovitz and starred legendary actor Robin Williams as Jacob. The story was about Nazi-occupied Poland in 1944. In a Jewish ghetto, Jacob whispers to his fellow inhabitants the optimistic stories of allied forces advancing to save them.
He tells them he has a secret radio. Obviously, radios are strictly prohibited in ghettos. You can even be given the death sentence for having one. Yet by telling those stories, Jacob spreads hope across the ghetto and encourages everyone to continue each day. Jacob lies. But he makes people feel optimistic about the future.
When the German Gestapo learn about Jacob and his radio story, they tell him to confess that he doesn’t have a radio and that his stories are lies. This point is the climax of the film. If Jacob admits that he’s lying, he will live, but that will damage morale. If he refuses to tell the truth it could be at the cost of his life.
In the end, Jacob refuses to tell the truth and is shot and killed.
I was speechless at the end of the film. That was one of the films which made me continue my life as a journalist through the darkest times in my unfortunate country.
Right now in real life Myanmar, as soon as people wake up in the morning they grab their phones and look at the news using virtual protection networks. And they feel they still have hope. Even though the military junta is currently cracking down on VPNs, people are still taking risks and searching for the news and information they need. Yes, we’re living in the Union of the Republic of Ghetto where the news is our only daily essential vitamin.
Of course, we should not tell lies and we should not raise false hopes. According to our code of ethics, journalists should never fabricate information, and we should also not hide the truth. That’s why our job is difficult and why we must all be brave. That’s why we need moral and financial support.
So yes, we’re not Jacob the liar.
But we are Jacobs.
That’s why I’m sitting here in Yangon and still writing stories.
Because, simply, I’m also a Jacob.
Thit Ywet, Columnist, Yangon
