How to do a Travel Doco, Lumley & India

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Hafiz
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How to do a Travel Doco, Lumley & India

Post by Hafiz »

Joanna Lumley India.

Infectious, frank, (occasionally) silly, informative, diverting, spontaneous, sad and beautifully photographed its all you would want from a well produced middle brow travelogue.

Even the Telegraph described it as ‘utterly irresistible’ and “she hasn’t shied away from the many less savoury aspects of life in India” and “very moving” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/07/0 ... us-review/

Predictably, the Guardian thinks that she overlooked British oppression and her personal responsibility for this, given her family’s role in India. There is hardly a Lumley ancestor according to the red rag who nisn’t covered in blood. Typical chardonnay socialist guilt trip where the blame for the past overshadows the now and which changes nothing. A form of psychic self-abuse which should be practiced only in private and never in print. The ‘journalist’ who wrote this should stick to her more regular happy high-brow hunting ground of the Caribbean Roar magazine and continues a recent tradition in the Guardian of employing journalists who use grievance and agenda but lack relevant education, experience as well as a light touch when reviewing what is just TV entertainment. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radi ... ng-history. What happened to Clive James and deft wit?

Interestingly, whilst it received no disclosed funding from the Government of India, the Lumley doco. sends a message that India is a marvelous and complex country and this will likely have a clear tourism effect.

By way of contrast the legion of Egypt travelogues push only one issue, Egyptology, and do it in a heavy handed government funded way. The recent J Walter Thompson $US70 million Egypt promotional contract gives little confidence that the future will be any better. The company lacks experience in this area and ceased to be a market leader decades ago.

In any event I think that heavy handed government-funded propaganda/advertising works less well than crafted and spontaneous joy as exemplified in the Lumley program. I think most viewers know the difference between being sold something versus joining a real person on an interesting voyage.

The hapless, hopeless Greeks had a go at this a few years ago with a government funded academic/scenic/food series with a somewhat overweight and scripted archaeologist, Dr Michael Scott. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039gly5. That the BBC got involved in this shameless piece of heavy handed commercial advertising is an outrage – maybe it was part of their charity program to Greece. Charmless, and not very interesting.


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Re: How to do a Travel Doco, Lumley & India

Post by newcastle »

Funnily enough, Nile TV had on it's Breakfast Show yesterday a "tourism expert" - Mohamed Nabil.

phpBB [video]


I found it pretty grim....(the content, the setting , the interviewers....not the sort of thing to get me going in the morning)

Some of his ideas seemed complete nonsense....such as tourists wishing to interact with the people. Generally speaking, it's not an activity encouraged by the authorities. Other ideas seemed dependent on being able to get around - in a country known for its lack of convenient ways of getting from A to B.

"Scary nights" in the museum? Do me a favour. :stp

He waffled at some length about "Apps"....someone more techy than me can explain what he was on about. It went over my head I'm afraid.

He was right to point out the need to train those working in the tourism industry on how to deal with tourists. More smiles apparently. He also mentioned clearing the rubbish from everywhere.

Good luck with that :urm:
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Re: How to do a Travel Doco, Lumley & India

Post by HEPZIBAH »

I watched Lumley in India and it made me realise that I'd like to visit India again. The only sad thing was that, particularly in the first episode I think, that it covered such a large area so fast.

One thing that confused me was her audience with the Dali Lama. It was portrayed as being her first audience with him but I am sure that I've seen her meeting with him in the past.

Another wonderful series she did, along the same lines, was Joanna Lumley in Japan. She covered the main three islands and brought out their beauty and their contrasts.

Egypt would certainly benefit from a Joanna Lumley's Egypt series too - OK she did the Nile but there was only a little bit of Egypt in that series.
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Re: How to do a Travel Doco, Lumley & India

Post by newcastle »

HEPZIBAH wrote:I watched Lumley in India and it made me realise that I'd like to visit India again. The only sad thing was that, particularly in the first episode I think, that it covered such a large area so fast.

One thing that confused me was her audience with the Dali Lama. It was portrayed as being her first audience with him but I am sure that I've seen her meeting with him in the past.


Another wonderful series she did, along the same lines, was Joanna Lumley in Japan. She covered the main three islands and brought out their beauty and their contrasts.

Egypt would certainly benefit from a Joanna Lumley's Egypt series too - OK she did the Nile but there was only a little bit of Egypt in that series.
She has...in 2004.

"The Dalai Lama may be regarded by millions as a divine being, but he is no ethereal figure. He has the energy and build of a man much younger than his 68 years. As he and Joanna talk, about Joanna's family, the Dalai Lama's hopes for the future, politics and religion, they laugh uproariously. When he takes her hand to lead her across the room for a photograph, his grip is surprisingly strong. When we leave, he clasps his hands together in the tradition Tibetan greeting before presenting Joanna with a white silk Tibetan scarf, a gesture of respect. 'See you again,' he says seriously."

When Patsy met the Dalai Lama: Joanna Lumley's Road to Enlightenment.

http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=6942

A lengthy, but very interesting, article.
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Re: How to do a Travel Doco, Lumley & India

Post by HEPZIBAH »

Thanks newcastle. I'm glad I'm not remembering things that didn't happen when I have trouble remember the things that do happen! :)

The Lumley in India programme certainly gave the impression that it was her first visit to the Dali Lama and not a privileged second audience with him.
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Re: How to do a Travel Doco, Lumley & India

Post by carrie »

Couldn't watch the video seemed such a waste of time, two days in Cairo on your way to Japan? Where is he coming from?
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Re: How to do a Travel Doco, Lumley & India

Post by newcastle »

carrie wrote:Couldn't watch the video seemed such a waste of time, two days in Cairo on your way to Japan? Where is he coming from?
Oh....I'd forgotten that bit!

Yes..Cairo and maybe Hurghada as "hubs" for a vastly increased Egyptian air fleet. Criss-crossing the globe with a couple of days in Egypt......exploring Cairo, nipping down South to "do" Luxor or dipping your toes in the Red Sea.
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