The Bamboo Dialogues

Bamboo is a versatile design material. It has a growth rate of up to a meter per day, which is the world record for all living plants. It has structural properties that in some cases equal steel and concrete. Bamboo is a material that provides an interesting alternative in an ongoing contemporary material/sustainability dialogue. The Bamboo Dialogues seeks to find an answer to the following questions: What kind of material is bamboo? Why are we not using more of it in contemporary design, engineering and architecture? The film tries to amplify the soft voice and show the possibilities and challenges of this miracle plant. The best bamboo practices are mostly found: off the beaten track; away from trendsetting metropolises; in remote and peripheral locations. The film’s story is told by ‘bamboo whisperers’: engineers, artisans, architects, designers, historians, and biologists from over five continents.