Genghis Khan (TV programme)

Genghis Khan is a 2005 BBC documentary co-produced with Discovery Channel UK detailing the life of the 13th-century Mongol warlord Genghis Khan. It starred Orgil Makhaan as Genghis Khan, voiced by Kenneth Cranham. It was directed by Edward Bazalgette. It was narrated by Alisdair Simpson.[1] It was shot entirely on location in Mongolia with a Mongolian cast.[2] Battle scenes were recreated using the same CGI techniques as The Lord of the Rings trilogy.[3]

Genghis Khan
GenreDocumentary
Written byIsabelle Grey
Directed byEdward Bazalgette
StarringOrgil Makhaan
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes1
Production
ProducersJonathan Stamp and Edward Bazalgette
Running time50 minutes
Release
Original networkBBC
Original release25 April 2005 (2005-04-25) –
1 April 2015 (2015-04-01)

The documentary sets out to redress what it sees as the unwarranted negative reputation of the Mongol leader. The film portrays him as a benevolant leader who put a stop to internecine tribal warfare.[3] Although the film does portray the brutality of the Mongol conquests, Joe Joseph in The Times writes that it sometimes oversold itself.[2]

Battle scene from the film

In 2015, China deported twenty foreigners (British, South African, and Indian) for watching the film in their hotel in Inner Mongolia. The Chinese authorities claimed the film promoted terrorism and religious extremism. China is hostile to separatist groups or those campaigning for more rights for ethnic Mongols.[4][5]

Orgil Makhaan

Orgil Makhaan went on to star as Jamucha in By the Will of Chingis Khan, a 2009 joint Mongolian and Russian film production. He has also featured as a judge in the Mongolian The Models TV show. He was the Mongolian organiser for the Netflix series Marco Polo and in 2017 founded the Mongolian National Film Commission with himself as president.[6]

References
  1. Genghis Khan, BBC One, retrieved 1 November 2021.
  2. Joe Joseph, "The greatest story never told", The Times, T2 p. 23, 26 April 2005.
  3. Anthony Barnes, Jonathan Thompson. "BBC gives Genghis Khan a makeover", Independent, 2 January 2005, retrieved 1 November 2021.
  4. AP, "China deports 20 for watching Genghis Khan flick", The Times of Israel, 20 July 2015, accessed and archived 14 January 2022.
  5. Reuters, "China to deport foreigners after Genghis Khan documentary ‘misunderstanding’", Hong Kong Free Press, 19 July 2015, accessed and archived 14 January 2022.
  6. Murray Ashton, "On location in Mongolia with Orgil Makhaan, the founder and president of the Mongolian National Film Commission", The Location Guide, 26 July 2021, accessed and archived 3 November 2021.
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