In a cinema in downtown Toronto a documentary is being screened to a packed house. Its subject - the abortive uprising by the people of Burma two years ago. These are images the world would never see if it weren't for a group of brave journalists who risked their lives and used hidden cameras to show what really goes on in one of the most repressive regimes in the world today.  In a car park in the city of Toronto I meet one of those undercover journalists. If his face were shown, it would be the end of his career and most likely his life as well. To protect his identity, he asks to be called Joshua. He's in Canada to help promote the documentary about their work, that he hopes will help keep alive the dream of a free and democratic Burma. He began his career writing for Burma's state-controlled media, covering scenes such as these... It's what the Burmese military dictatorship would like the world to see.

JOSHUA: Since many years ago I wanted to be a journalist, and I thought all the journalists are the same.

When he realised that he was writing nothing but propaganda, he resigned to instead become what he would call "a real journalist".

JOSHUA: So you need to be ready to sacrifice something in your daily life to be a real journalist. But for me, I just wanted to be a real journalist, I don't want to be a part of a propaganda machine.

He joined a clandestine group of reporters - the Democratic Voice of Burma, or DVB - working undercover and risking arrest every day to tell the world what's really happening inside Burma. That decision put his life on the line.

JOSHUA: That's me in the white shirt with the black bag. I followed very close and I saw them throwing the demonstrator on a truck. I ran towards the truck. I had to get a picture of this!

To avoid arrest, DVB reporters use classic espionage techniques - each reporter is only allowed to contact a few people in the organisation - those within their small cell or team.

JOSHUA: They have to contact each other in the same team, I mean in the small cell, like two or three people together. And then they go out together. One is watching who is monitoring them while they are filming, and one will handle the camera, and another one maybe will be helping to arrange communication, to upload the footage out to Thailand or Norway.

Their videos are delivered to this man, Khin Maung Win.

KHIN MAUNG WIN: The video-journalists are the ones takings risks on the ground. Unless we have video-journalists, it is the end of the entire story.

From this small studio in Oslo, Khin Maung Win broadcasts DVB's news around the world, even back into Burma via satellite. The DVB came into their own in 2007 during Burma's first mass protests in 20 years, when Buddhist monks took to the streets. Foreign journalists were ejected from the country, leaving only the Democratic Voice of Burma to bring images of the so-called "saffron revolution" to the world...

POLICE CHIEF: DVB are the worst! The leaders in Oslo are getting false pictures from groups inside the country. DVB are the ones who broadcast most of the false news about us.

But the DVB stayed one step ahead.

KHIN MAUNG WIN: The police chief is making a comment about DVB. But what he does not realise is that a DVB journalist is filming him while he is making a comment about us. So that's the way we can play the game.

JOSHUA: We are dealing with luck. Sometimes we can do it on the street, but one thing is - they rarely arrest a person on the spot. They will ask you a question, they will get your background, your name, address, your ID card or something, and then they will release you. But in the night-time somebody knocks on your door and gets you out. And you'll be in jail tomorrow.

And I hear somebody shouting - "There's a camera!" It was me. They got me.

Early on in the demonstrations 'Joshua' was picked up by the police. He was lucky to be released - only his camera and tapes were confiscated - but he had to flee Burma to Thailand. As the mass protests continued, the unthinkable in devoutly Buddhist Burma happened... ..monks leading the rallies were attacked. The video-journalists of the DVB were there to record it all.

KHIN MAUNG WIN: We were surprised when the monks were beat up, shot, arrested, and tortured. Even the British imperial rulers didn't do this in such a scale.

Over the next 24 hours government security forces attacked the monasteries. And from this monastery alone, over 250 monks were taken away, never to be seen again.

KHIN MAUNG WIN: No people, no ordinary human being would torture or will beat or will kill Buddhist monks.

When these images of the bodies of monks floating down the river were smuggled out by the journalists, it outraged the international community. The junta reacted. Three DVB journalists were arrested, tortured, and are now serving prison sentences of up to 17 years.

JOSHUA: They are still strong, even in the prison - because they know that their work is supported by many people in the country and internationally as well.

ANDERS OSTERGAARD: You don't go into the VJ business in Burma without having considered the risk you're taking and the price you might be going to pay.

'Burma V.J.' was directed by Anders Ostergaard.

ANDERS OSTERGAARD: We have people in jail now who could face further reprisals because of the film. There are always dilemmas about this. You cannot tell the story without some compromise to safety and protection of these people. But this has been discussed all along with the guys from the beginning - security has been sort of a built-in issue. Their general attitude is that, well, everything has a price, and what at the moment is right is to put the film out, and everybody is prepared to pay the price necessary.

Here in Toronto, 'Burma V.J.' ends to a standing ovation. Joshua is uncomfortable with the growing spotlight, but he believes that the risk it brings is necessary to rally the international community.

JOSHUA: It's about the freedom of expression in Burma, it's about the religious issue, it's about the 55 million people who are facing the oppressive regime every day.

But Joshua's high profile has come at a price. His closest friend was recently arrested and tortured by the junta to extract information that would lead to Joshua's capture.

JOSHUA: He was tortured because he was covering me. He was trying to protect me while he was under torture so I feel really sad and I feel really proud for our network. If he was working for the money, maybe I would be arrested the same day with him because he can reveal anything. But he protected me because we are like blood brothers.

Today is a rare break for Joshua. Soon he'll go back to his work. What he looks forward to is when he, and the rest of the people of Burma, can spend their days living as ordinary people in an extraordinary country.

JOSHUA: I can see only the bright future. Now we are in the worst situation, so in the future they will be much better than the current situation, I believe that.