Route 3

Route 3 is a film a surrealistic and ethnographic account of a newly completed highway in rural Laos. Paid for by Chinese and Thai development funds it is the first modern highway to connecting China to Thailand through the former Golden Triangle. Route 3 has accelerated Chinese development of Lao agricultural, gambling, and prostitution industries, and the migration of rural Lao minority populations to the growing roadside towns. The video considers the enigmatic changes in the visual landscape including the proliferation of hair salons, casinos, and markets for cheap industrial Thai and Chinese products. Continuing the directors’ work with performance and landscape, the film results in a ethno-fantastic panorama of this site.