Ice Poison

• Original Title BING DU
• Country Taiwan, Republic of the Union of Myanmar
• Original Language Mandarin, Burmese
• Director Midi Z
• Producer Patrick Mao Huang
• Run Time 95 mins

Australian Premiere

“A mesmerising, stark depiction of drugs and poverty … serves as a potent metaphor for the economic and psychological devastation of many Burmese.” – Twitch

Winner of the Edinburgh Film Festival’s Best International Feature award, and Taiwan’s submission for the 2015 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, Ice Poison is a stark, non-judgemental depiction of poverty and the drug trade in Myanmar.

Set in the heart of the country’s opium-growing territory, the tale follows a young man desperately trying to scrape together a living from subsistence-level farming. When he decides to try his hand at running a scooter-taxi service, he swiftly finds himself drawn into the dangerous world of drug running.

The third feature from Burmese-born Taiwanese director Midi Z (Return to Burma, Poor Folk), Ice Poison is lent a documentary-like authenticity by meticulous pacing and remarkably naturalistic performances from its two leads.

Engrossing and powerful, this is a sober, sensitive portrait of desperation and temptation.