Director John Boorman's film, inspired by the crackdown of the Burmese military during the late 1980s, stars Patricia Arquette as Laura Bowman, an American doctor. After the violent death of her husband and child, Laura joins her sister, Andy (Frances McDormand), on a tour of Southeast Asia, hoping that a trip might be therapeutic. While the sisters are in Burma, the demonstrations of political dissidents become violent, and although her sister is able to depart, Laura must stay behind, having lost her passport. After seeking help at the American embassy, she encounters a former college professor, now a dissident supporter, who asks her to help him in eluding the police, an action that she knows will place her in jeopardy. In return, he offers to lead her out of the country across the Thai border. At a train station, he introduces her to a group of rebel students, one of whom is killed when government troops open fire on the crowd. Laura, whose aversion to blood has led her to contemplate leaving her profession, overcomes her problem when her teacher himself is shot and only she can save him. The well-acted film features impressive nature photography by John Seale.

Traveling through Asia to escape the memory of her family's violent deaths, an American woman finds herself trapped in the Burmese capital of Rangoon during a political upheaval. Based on a true story, this exceptional film tells the little-known story of Burma's ongoing struggle against a vicious dictatorship.

Theatrical release: August 25, 1995.

Shot on location in Malaysia.

Meg Ryan was originally slated to play the lead.

DVD Features:

Full Frame - 1.33

Patricia Arquette: American Actress; MEDIUM
Adele Lutz: Costume Designer
Frances McDormand: American Actress
Spalding Gray: Performance artist

John Boorman: British Director/Producer

"...Rich in psychological and eco-political resonance....Patricia Arquette proves herself equal to the physical demands of the role..."
"...[Boorman] shows once again that he is a compelling visual craftsman whose strong filmmaking sense is something for others to envy..."
"...Boorman is a director who has a special visual feel for jungles....He creates a steamy landscape of natural beauty and human terror..."
"...The scenery is certainly striking..."
"...Engaging....Boorman has staged some convincing set pieces of savage violence against defenseless citizens, as well as some muscular action in river and thick jungle settings..."
"...Boorman is a daredevil of a director....A ripping good adventure..."