Warlords of the Golden Triangle (1987)

• 78%
• 1987
• Documentary
• Adrian Cowell
• Peter Yung Wai-Chuen

A decade after working together on The White Powder Opera, Yung reunited with director Adrian Cowell and cinematographer Chris Menges for this powerful and fascinating documentary about the drug trade in the Golden Triangle. Shot in the bordering areas of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar, the film shows the planting of opium, the production of heroin and how the finished product is transported to the rest of the world. The filmmakers even spoke to two rival drug cartels in the area and captured their operations on camera. Using archival footage and photos, Yung and Cowell also reconstruct the history of the drug trade from the 1940s to the 1980s. The Cantonese-language version being screened was re-edited by Yung himself, who also supervised a new narration by actor John Sham.