Airdate: Michael Palin: Into Iraq

SBS screens 3 part documentary series Michael Palin: Into Iraq next week.

Michael Palin embarks on an epic, revelatory journey into Iraq, one of the most dangerous and complex
countries in the world. Following the Tigris river for over a thousand miles, from its source in eastern Turkey to the Persian Gulf, Michael wants to discover what life is like for the 40 million people who live in Iraq. It’s one of the very few parts of the world he hasn’t visited, but he’s been fascinated by it since he was a child. Iraq is often called the ‘cradle of civilisation’ and Michael wants to explore the country’s past as well as its troubled present.

Episode One:
Michael Palin embarks on a 1000-mile adventure into Iraq, a country he has never been to before. He boards a train in the spectacular snow-capped mountains of Lake Hazar in eastern Turkey, the source of the river Tigris, which Michael will follow until he reaches the Persian Gulf on the southern most coast of Iraq. In the bustling Turkish city of Diyarbakir, Michael meets a local Kurdish woman, Dilan, for a delicious local feast and a window into the Kurds’ troubled relationship with federal Iraq. Further into his chaotic journey to the border Michael’s next stop is Mardin, an ancient town built into the side of a mountain on the steps of Iraq.

Wednesday, 5 April at 8.35pm on SBS.