THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY - HONG KONG

presents

“Wild China”

by

Gavin Maxwell
on

Thursday, 11 December 2008

2/F Olympic House, So Kong Po, Causeway Bay
Drinks Reception 6.30 pm; Lecture 7.30 pm

We are delighted to welcome well-known television director Gavin Maxwell to lecture on “Wild China”. Mr. Maxwell was the director and producer of the celebrated “Wild China” television series, featuring the most interesting wildlife, the remotest landscapes and the many different ethnic groups from all over China. Filmed over three years all over China, ‘Wild China’ is one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the renowned BBC Natural History Unit. Mr. Maxwell gave this lecture at the RGS in London recently, where it attracted one of the largest audiences ever seen and was several times oversold.

The lecture features some of China’s remotest locations such as the Chang Tang and the Yarlung Gorge (the world’s deepest), the rarest wildlife and rarely-seen behaviour such as rutting chiru and mating wild pandas, and the many different ethnic groups of China, from the Ewenki in the North to the Dai in the South. Many of the stories and locations which are featured have been a revelation not just for Western audiences but for Chinese also. Highlights include wild panda courtship and the Saga Dawa festival in Western Tibet.

In the lecture, Mr. Maxwell takes the audience on a journey around China to share the secrets behind the making of the 'Wild China' series, including some of China’s farthest corners, showing some of the extraordinary wildlife, people and landscapes that were filmed, sharing some of the highs and lows involved in making such an ambitious series, and drawing some conclusions about the wildlife, the environment and the growing needs of China’s 1.3 billion population. The lecture features extensive film clips and stills from the series, allowing a unique behind-the-scenes insight.

Gavin Maxwell was educated at Ampleforth and then studied film and media at the Kent Institute of Art and Design. He then worked as a producer and director for the BBC Natural History Unit for 15 years before leaving to become a freelance film-maker, photographer and writer. Prior to ‘Wild China’ his award-winning television projects have included ‘Nile’, ‘Wildlife Special: Crocodile’, ‘Surviving Great Whites’; ‘Tibet’, ‘Land of the Panda’ and ‘Eyewitness’ with projects from China to Africa to USA.

Mr. Maxwell has co-authored two books, ‘Wild China’ and ‘Nile’, the story of his journey along the full length of the Nile, and regularly writes for Wildlife Magazine. He lectures extensively including at SOAS (the School of Oriental and African Studies) and other educational establishments.