In Search of Marco Polo (2013)

By filming on the actual locations traversed by Marco Polo, the series brings to life the authenticity of the local peoples from the standpoints of ethnology, historiography, culture and economics. We follow the exact route depicted in his book, Il million, documenting the peoples, customs and cultures along the way to bring into sharp relief the cultural differences within the Asian mainland. Viewers are introduced to their development, becoming familiar with three completely different and, to us, relatively unknown spheres of civilisation and religion - Arabic Islam, Indian Hinduism and Oriental Buddhism. The host takes us through regions and cultures that may seem exotic - and, at times, dreamlike - in our search for the evidence of Marco Polo's passage. Interviews with common folk bring to light amazing facts and tales of unfamiliar customs, beliefs, crafts, attitudes and value systems that have developed in Asia over the millenia. The series' depiction of these faraway lands is based on contrast. Magnificent edifices like temples or palaces are juxtaposed with the details from a masterfully crafted vase. The war tactics of the Mongolian army, the greatest military force of its time, are contrasted with the life of today's Mongols in their quaint yurts. The closed Burma (Myanmar) is compared with the opening of China. Each episode forms a whole connected by the thread of Marco Polo, with the entire miniseries linking not only Polo's travels, but the world's largest circles of civilisation (European, Arabic, Indian and Oriental). Finally, the series explores the sensations of wonder and magic, which have changed little in the seven centuries since Marco Polo's time - which might be stronger than ever, especially for us Europeans.