'' Behemoth '' ( ) is a Chinese documentary film directed by Zhao Liang about the environmental , sociological , and public health effects of coal-mining in China and Inner Mongolia . Loosely based on Dante Alighieri 's '' Divine Comedy '' , Liang ’s documentary has been lauded for its surreal cinematography and poignant imagery . The film was released in competition on September 11 , 2015 at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival . Regarding the ban in China , the director explained that " even though environmental protection is a national policy , but the regional government quite disliked this type of film ( 虽然环保是国家政策 ， 但是地方政府对这种电影很反感 ) " . This was not Liang ’s first banned film , as his 2009 documentary '' Petition '' was also subjected to government censorship
the 72nd Venice International Film Festival
72nd Venice International Film Festival
Behemoth (2015 film)