Zhao read the divine comedy while shooting behemoth, and decided to incorporate the poem into his otherwise wordless film, tweaking the language where necessary. Zhao liang, born 1971 is a chinese documentary film director and artist. In zhao liang s film behemoth, which uses onscreen text adapted from dantes divine comedy, a coal miner plays a role akin to that of virgil, the guide, holding a mirror on his. The venezuelan film from afar by lorenzo vigas won the golden lion award everest was selected as the festivals opening night film, while guan. In behemoth, the chinese documentary filmmaker zhao liang takes on the industrialization of inner mongolia lyrically, crafting a nearly wordless visual poem of imploded landscapes and sick, tired workers. But there are exceptions in this dominion of crap, including behemoth, a lyrical documentary by the chinese director zhao liang. Mechanical shovels and earthmovers sit on ridges of land carved out by other machines and while all is still for a short time, that quiet is torn apart by a loud explosion that sends sheets of dust into the air. Zhao liang s behemoth 2015 photo courtesy grasshopper film. Absent of dialogue and largely silentaside from earshattering explosionsthe film. Behemoth is a chinese documentary film directed by zhao liang about the environmental, sociological, and public health effects of coalmining in china and. Beginning with a mining explosion in mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of beijing, political documentarian zhao liangs visionary new film behemoth details, in one breath taking sequence after another, the social and environmental devastation behind an economic miracle that may yet prove illusory. Zhao liangs behemoth makes its world premiere in official competition at the 2015 venice film festival.
Sep 11, 2015 the transformation of paradise into purgatory, with hell firmly in sight, gets imposing visual treatment in chinese filmmaker zhao liang s behemoth. Behemoth is noticeable different from zhao liang s previous film petition. He supported himself as a photographer while working on his early documentaries. Facing the ashes and noises caused by heavy mining, the herdsmen have no choice but to leave as the meadow areas dwindle. A literary reflection by the audacious director zhao liang on the industrial monster devouring the inner mongolian prairies. Thats the background to zhao liang s remarkable, powerful film behemoth beixi moshuo, a sort of dream documentary set in this ravaged landscape but liberally inspired by dante. The 72nd annual venice international film festival took place from 2 to 12 september 2015. As china hungers for coal, behemoth studies the ravages at. Loosely based on dante alighieris divine comedy, liangs documentary has been lauded for its surreal cinematography and poignant imagery. Beginning with a mining explosion in mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of beijing, political documentarian zhao liang s visionary new film behemoth details, in one breathtaking sequence after another, the social and ecological devastation behind an economic miracle that may yet prove illusory. Zhao liang solidifies his status as one of chinas most unique talents with this politicized examination of chinas war on its own environment, a visionary combination of observational documentary, experimental essay, and workingmans deathlike vision of hell on earth. A poetic voiceover speaks of the insatiability of desire on top of stunning. Zhao liang, france, grasshopper film, opens january 27 by nicolas rapold in the januaryfebruary 2017 issue. A restored version of federico fellinis film amarcord was shown at the festival.
In behemoth, liang looks at the ecological and human disasters created by greedy. Beginning with a mining explosion in mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of beijing, political documentarian zhao liangs visionary new film behemoth details, in one breathtaking sequence after another, the social and ecological devastation behind an economic miracle that may yet prove illusory. Workers who operate the drilling machines must stay awake. In the moonlight, iron mines are brightly lit throughout the night. The mountain official trailer 2019 tye sheridan, jeff goldblum movie duration. Facing the ashes and noises caused by heavy mining, the herdsmen have no choice but to leave as the. Zhao liang liang, zhao environmental film festival. Zhao liang, france, grasshopper film, opens january 27 by nicolas rapold in the januaryfebruary 2017 issue zhao liang s behemoth oneups the bleak house attrition of his 2009 petition with ecologicalsocioeconomic convulsion on a dantean and biblical scale. 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. In behemoth, we witness a more poetic and abstract approach to the glaring issue of chinas coal industry. Under the sun, the heavenly beauty of grasslands will soon be covered by the raging dust of mines. For other people named zhao liang, see zhao liang disambiguation.
Beginning with a mining explosion in mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of beijing, documentarian zhao liangs visionary new film behemoth details, in one breathtaking sequence after another, the social and ecological devastation behind chinas economic miracle. Grasshopper film maverick indie director zhao liang continues his muckraking tour of chinas social and environmental woes with the stunning, cumulatively moving behemoth. Blurring the line between documentary and video art, behemoth excerpted above sees maverick director zhao liang tour inner mongolias coal mines and iron works with camera in hand, capturing footage of the destruction of the areas natural grasslands at the hands of an everexpanding mining industry. Throughout the film, the director moves closer and closer to likening this monster to the black gold, eventually arguing that behemoth is not a myth at all. Throughout the film, the director moves closer and closer to likening this monster to the black gold, eventually arguing that behemoth. Eyepopping images dominate this film about the ecological ravages of chinese coalmining. Behemoth seems to shudder with the destructive power of invisible, ubiquitous, and cruelly indifferent authority. Zhao liang s behemoth makes its world premiere in official competition at the 2015 venice film festival. Behemoth zhao liang 2015 90 minutes china beginning with a mining explosion in mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of beijing, political documentarian zhao liang s visionary new film behemoth details, in one breathtaking sequence after another, the social and ecological devastation behind an economic miracle that may yet prove illusory. Zhao liang finds the poetry and pain in inner mongolia. Behemoth finds poetry in chinas industrial badlands film. 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. Zhao, whos been making politicallyminded nonfiction films in various of these modes for over a decade, has with his latest attempted a kind of.
Zhao liang s film behemoth depicts the harmful effects of mining on inner mongolias grasslands, and its people. Aug 21, 2016 a naked man lies in a quarry in zhao liangs behemoth, a film that captures the shocking disregard for workers living conditions. The acclaimed chinese documentarian and video artist assumes, in his new film, behemoth, a poetic view of industry here made exquisite in its violence, ravishing in. Beginning with a mining explosion in mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of beijing, political documentarian zhao liangs extraordinary, visionary new film. New yorker a piercing exploration of the human and environmental costs of coal and iron mining in innermongolia, behemoth is director zhao liang s most recent feature. As china hungers for coal, behemoth studies the ravages. Although behemoth uses the divine comedy as a template for its structure and narration, this documentary from zhao liang petition is a feat of pictorial storytelling. Beginning with a mining explosion in mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of beijing, political documentarian zhao liang s visionary new film behemoth det. Zhao was born in liaoning province, and graduated from luxun academy of fine arts in 1992. Zhao liang finds remarkable beauty in the overwhelming ugliness, but purposes that beauty with indisputable meaning exposing the blatant, raw, physically and psychologically devastating hardship a staggering amount of people have to face in order to sustain the artificial, unscrupulous economic system in face, which commentary is only amplified. Zhao, whos been making politicallyminded nonfiction films in various of.
Check out the deal on behemoth at grasshopper educational. A naked man lies in a quarry in zhao liang s behemoth, a film that captures the shocking disregard for workers living conditions. Zhao liang s behemoth oneups the bleak house attrition of his 2009 petition with ecologicalsocioeconomic convulsion on a dantean and biblical scale. Jan 27, 2017 its most direct precursor, i suppose, is werner herzogs 1992 lessons of darkness, which looked at the setafire kuwait oil fields in the aftermath of the first iraq war, framing its narrative, such as it was, as that of a sciencefiction film.
A competition selection of the 72th venice film festival, behemoth will screen at new directorsnew films on march 17 and 18. Behemoth opens with a distant shot of some kind of excavation project. In zhao liangs ecological documentary behemoth, were the. Beginning with a mining explosion in mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of beijing, political documentarian zhao liangs visionary new film behemoth.
Beginning with a mining explosion in mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of beijing, political documentarian zhao liang s visionary new film behemoth details, in one breath taking sequence after another, the social and environmental devastation. Jan 26, 2017 although behemoth uses the divine comedy as a template for its structure and narration, this documentary from zhao liang petition is a feat of pictorial storytelling. Instead of hell, purgatory and heaven, zhao s camera plunges through pitchblack mines, hellfire iron furnaces and a. Zhao liangs behemoth oneups the bleak house attrition of his 2009 petition with ecologicalsocioeconomic convulsion on a dantean and biblical scale. Reckless, ruthless, with little care for the workers, for the environment. New yorker a piercing exploration of the human and environmental costs of coal and iron mining in innermongolia, behemoth is director zhao liangs most recent feature. The next day, we sat down in zhao s beijing art studio, where the filmmaker was as wry in his humor as he was cynical, discussing everything from his views on censorship to the relationship between art and activism. Written by 72nd venice international film festival. Political documentarian zhao liang draws inspiration from the divine comedy for this simultaneously intoxicating and terrifying glimpse at the ravages wrought upon inner mongolia by its coal and iron industries.
At the movies, its dump month, which stretches into february. With his unique vision and acute reflections on social issues and conditions, zhao has been extending the frontiers of documentary filmmaking in china today. Behemoth by chinese director zhao liang had me somewhere between wow, this is beautiful and oh my, this is so depressing. Like petition liang preoccupies himself with the neglected, overlooked individuals of the masses. Moving from mongolian coal mines to ironworks and blast furnaces, ending in a newly created suburb with no inhabitants. After a fiveyear hiatus, zhao is back with behemoth, a poetic documentary chronicling miners and steel workers who, as stated in the film s closing credits, face the hardship of life with extraordinary courage. Mar 16, 2016 the next day, we sat down in zhaos beijing art studio, where the filmmaker was as wry in his humor as he was cynical, discussing everything from his views on censorship to the relationship between art and activism. Instead of hell, purgatory and heaven, zhaos camera plunges through pitchblack mines, hellfire iron furnaces and a gleaming ghost city. Behemoth zhao liang acts as a modernday dante exploring inner mongolias environmental destruction by toxic mining.
Zhao liangs behemoth 2015 photo courtesy grasshopper film. More simply, its a portrait of modernday china built from the blood and sweat of its proletariat class. The divine comedy gets namechecked and even credited as source material, while the english title smacks of paradise lost. In zhao liangs ecological documentary behemoth, were the monster. Beginning with a mining explosion in mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of beijing, documentarian zhao liang s visionary new film behemoth details, in one breathtaking sequence after another, the social and ecological devastation behind chinas economic miracle. Watch behemoth, the chinese documentary by zhao liang fandor. Dec 29, 2015 in zhao liangs film behemoth, which uses onscreen text adapted from dantes divine comedy, a coal miner plays a role akin to that of virgil, the guide, holding a mirror on his. In zhao liangs ecological documentary behemoth, were the monster eyepopping images dominate this film about the ecological ravages of chinese coalmining. Jan 26, 2016 zhao read the divine comedy while shooting behemoth, and decided to incorporate the poem into his otherwise wordless film, tweaking the language where necessary.
Beginning with a mining explosion in mongolia and ending in a ghost city west of beijing, political documentarian zhao liangs visionary new film behemoth details, in one breathtaking sequence. Mar 17, 2016 after a fiveyear hiatus, zhao is back with behemoth, a poetic documentary chronicling miners and steel workers who, as stated in the films closing credits, face the hardship of life with extraordinary courage. Liang speaks about a myth, the myth of behemoth, a huge, allencompassing monster. This constant shift was a bit like a rollercoaster, although, im frank, the beauty of the images gave way to utter sadness in the end. The transformation of paradise into purgatory, with hell firmly in sight, gets imposing visual treatment in chinese filmmaker zhao liang s behemoth.
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