In the 1970s, paramilitary governments in Southeast Asia initiated geopolitically-motivated privatizations along the Mekong. The resulting environmental damage robbed local communities of their resources and sparked interregional conflicts. The ecological imbalances affected both the rural population and the metropolitan areas, forcing them to rethink their needs and reorient their production practices. Mekong 2030 is an anthology of five collaboratively-produced short films (Soul River, The Che Brother, The Forgotten Voices of Mekong, The Line, The Unseen River), which came out of a filmmakers' workshop with local environment activists initiated by Luang Prabang Film Festival.

Pham Ngoc Lân (*Hanoi, 1986) studied urban planning at Hanoi Architectural University. His work focuses on the influence of cityscapes on human relationships. His short films have screened at numerous film festivals and art museums, including Visions du Réel, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, and Berlinale Shorts. He is currently developing his feature film debut.