This Mortal Coil

In the underdeveloped region of Demawso in Kayah state, Myanmar, live a handful of women still constrained by a tradition that is fast dying out. The Kayan are an ethnic subgroup distinguished by the long brass coils many of the women wear around their necks, arms and legs. Folklore says that they are descended from dragons and the brass coils are worn to emulate their ancestors and protect them from tiger bites. The Kayan villagers in this area have gone mostly undisturbed by the outside world for most of their lives. But now roads, and with them development, have reached their previously isolated villages. We follow one family as they encounter new experiences and come to terms with the fast paced changes in their community. And we hear how there is no remorse for the loss of the tradition that has constricted them for most of their lives.