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Television and video too now flow along on the wave of travel literature from the last few years. Michael (Monty Python) Palin made the journey as Phileas Fogg, around the world in eight episodes at the cost of the BBC, Torfs takes us along the Silk Route to listen in the caravanserais to some of the tales which the traders from exotic places tell each other for entertainment. In imitation of Marco Polo, and all other travellers, she maintains that her evidence is true. And in the footsteps of Marco Polo, she sifts through the Babylonian language confusion (French, Italian, Croation, Urdu, Chinese, Japanese and even sign language) to try to determine the truth about the Mongol khans Genghis and Kublai. Thus we hear that Genghis drank koumis just like his soldiers and that, for Kublai's delights, beautiful virgin girls were available on a roster in his pleasure garden in Cambaluc (Beijing). As well as the prosperity in trade and agriculture, the proverbial mass murders are also dealt with, but Torfs' filming is so fine and inventive that we really want to travel along with Polo. despite all the risks.
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Erik Daams
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Camera: Jurgen Persijn, Anne Quirijnen, Editing: Peter Missotten, Sound: Cecilia de Moor, Sound editing: Carl van Brande, Production-assistants: Krystyna Stanczyk, Bavo Defurnie, With: Serge Decoster, Raul Baracchi a.o., Production: Ana Torfs, Ministerie Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Beursschouwburg, St. Lucas Instituut
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