BT-03. The Borneo Case
Sweden,Feature Documentary, 2016, 78 min
“The greatest financial scandal in the world.” THE GUARDIAN
Ninety percent of eastern Borneo’s forest has been sold off and destroyed. But where did all that money go? In this modern-day thriller, a polyglot group of investigators manages to expose Abdul Taib Mahmud, the chief minister of Sarawak, who, over the last 33 years, has stolen billions of dollars from illegal logging. He hid the money in secret accounts and funds around the world, including in some of the biggest banks and with politically connected people in the U.S. (Abdul’s family owns the FBI building in Seattle.) A whistle-blower in Los Angeles (later found dead) gives the team concrete proof of how a major international bank actively helped Mahmud purchase properties in the U.S. The story is filled with intimidation, death threats and murder, before finally ending up at the heart of the financial center of the world.
Winner at IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)
U.S. Premiere
TalkBack following the film at the TalkBack Cafe • Free Snacks + Beverages