UK filmmaker sheds light on Chinese poet Du Fu

UK filmmaker sheds light on Chinese poet Du Fu

When it comes to making television historical documentaries, there are few places and periods that British television audiences have not been taken by presenter Michael Wood.

For more than 40 years, Wood has guided viewers through the stories of the Dark Ages, the Trojan War, India, Alexander the Great, William Shakespeare and many more. But it is China that has always held the most fascination for him.

Wood's documentary series, The Story of China, went out in 2016. He has written a book with the same title, and earlier this year he became the first filmmaker from outside China to make a film about the life and work of poet Du Fu.

The Du Fu film, featuring acclaimed British actor Ian McKellen reading his poems, was shown on the BBC and China Central Television earlier this year, and the reaction was instant, and crucially, positive.

" It created a lot of interest and feedback in China and got a lot of cover age at the time, which was really touching, because when you go into a foreign culture as an outsider, to make a film about something of theirs, you want to make sure you've got it right, " he said.