In Search of Marco Polo

In Search of Marco Polo
Genre documentary TV mini-series
Written by Miro Branković
Directed by Miro Branković
Starring Miro Branković (Host)
Franjo Kuhar (voice of Marco Polo)
Country of origin Croatia
Original language(s) Croatian
No. of episodes 8
Production
Producer(s) Anto Jurić, Miroslav Rezić
Cinematography Dragan Ruljančić
Running time 50 min
Release
Original network HRT1
Original release February 13 (2013-02-13) – April 4, 2013 (2013-04-04)

In Search of Marko Polo is a Croatian documentary TV mini-series written and directed by Miro Branković.

Synopsis

TV crew in Gobi desert

By filming on the actual locations traversed by Marco Polo, In Search of Marco Polo TV series bring 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 Milione, 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 millennia. 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.

Mongolian hunter

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 3 HRT - Tri nagrade serijalu "U potrazi za Markom Polom", retrieved October 8, 2014 (in Croatian)
  2. ↑ www.porin.info – Dobitnici Porina 2013., retrieved October 8, 2014 (in Croatian)
  3. ↑ HRT - "Marko Polo" pobjednik Tourfilm festivala, retrieved October 8, 2014 (in Croatian)
  4. ↑ Baku International Tourism Film Festival, retrieved October 8, 2014.
  5. ↑ HRT - "Marko Polo" ponovno najbolji, retrieved October 8, 2014 (in Croatian)
  6. ↑ Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards - Winners 2014, retrieved October 8, 2014.
  7. ↑ Mondo.ba: Završen "Jahorina film festival", retrieved October 8, 2014 (in Bosnian)
  8. ↑ Premii IFFEST document.art XXI, 2014 / The Awards of the Document.art XXI, 2014, retrieved October 28, 2014.
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