Planet Killers: The Forest Destroyer
DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Country of production: France
Director: Hugo Van Offel
Duration: 49 minutes
Age restriction: 16+
Language: English, French, Indian with Vietnamese subtitles
 

In Asia, red sandalwood is seen as a symbol of wealth, used to make exquisite furniture and highly priced musical instruments. However, this tree only grows in the Seshachalam forest, southeast India. 95% of the species has been decimated by smugglers. Sahul Hameed is at the center of this trade. An Indian criminal, wanted by Interpol since 2016, his fortune is estimated at $120 million. After escaping an arrest in India, he fled to Dubai and continued to run his empire, living lavishly. His pursuit uncovers the intricacies of international wood trafficking involving shell companies, corrupt customs officers, and state complicity, stretching from Indian forests to the port of Singapore through Dubai.