Screening of Gambut (Peat), Lau Hong Hu, Singapore 2016 , 8mins 22 secs; and Beixi Muoshou (Behemoth), Zhao Liang, China/France 2015, 90mins. Selected and introduced by Thong Kay Wee (Singapore)

Gambut (Peat) is a meditation on the coexistence of man and environment. Entrapped in a vicious cycle of accusations, efforts in resolving the decades-long haze issues in Riau, Indonesia are becoming alarmingly futile. This short film is a juxtaposition of thoughts, anecdotes, opinions and images from affected locations.

From India to China, the fastest growing economies of the world are accumulative, exhaustive, and insatiable. The parallels of Odisha in east India can be found in the Wuhai area of Inner Mongolia; a dwindling pasture ravaged and disembowelled by the acts of toxic mining. Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, Beixi Muoshou (Behemoth) projects a poetic, contemplative gaze over China’s search for a paradise, one that has ended up looking more like hell. This film is a winner of the Green Drop Award at the 72nd Venice Film Festival (2015).

This screening is part of the public programme of Amar Kanwar: The Sovereign Forest.