Behemoth

A Meditation on China's Coal and Iron Industries

Beginning with a mining explosion in Mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of Beijing, political documentarian Zhao Liang's extraordinary, visionary new film BEHEMOTH details, in one breathtaking sequence after another, the social and environmental devastation behind an economic miracle that may yet prove illusory.

Drawing inspiration from The Divine Comedy, Zhao offers intoxicating and terrifying images of the ravages wrought by his country's coal and iron industries on both the land and its people. Zhao combines muck-racking journalistic techniques with stunning visuals to capture an unfolding nightmare.

*There are instances in the film where some Mandarin language is not translated to English, this is an intentional decision by the filmmaker.

Winner of the Green Drop Award and nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. Nominated for the Golden Frog in the Feature Documentary Films Competition at Camerimage.

"A feat of pictorial storytelling... Its haunting power grows in retrospect -- as if you've returned from a journey and can't believe what you've seen." - The New York Times