Miss Nikki and the Tiger Girls Trailer (2012)

Trailer for the documentary Miss Nikki and the Tiger Girls.

Burma is still struggling under a military dictatorship when five young women dreaming of international stardom are selected to form the country's first-ever girl band. The Tiger Girls are the brainchild of a producer seeking to follow the example of slick hit factory Stock, Aitken and Waterman. It isn't easy to find places to play in a conservative society where women who perform in clubs are seen as prostitutes, but with the Australian performer Nikki as their mentor, the girls seem to be in good hands. She knows that for these girls, the band is the only escape from a life of drudgery. We get an impression of their home lives and ideas, and while the girls are far from subversive, they all long for greater freedom. Using songs written by the girls to progress the narrative, their search for freedom of expression mirrors the tentative steps their country is taking towards a more hopeful future. But when, after 50 years, Burma finally is free, they face the question: what do you sing about when you've always been told what to do?