The premiere of a documentary filmed by a Chepstow and Bristol-based media company will take place tonight.
Produced by Bath and Chepstow-based One Tribe TV, the film "In the Footsteps of Marco Polo" sees Somerset resident Stanley Johnson and his son Max Johnson retracing the journey of 13th-century Venetian merchant Marco Polo.
The Scott Cinema in Bristol is hosting a red-carpet screening on July 26, with arrivals scheduled for 7pm.
The documentary follows the Johnsons on an epic journey across China, marking 700 years since Polo's death.
Starting in the Karakorum Mountains in Western China, the duo's expedition culminates in a 2,500-mile road trip to Beijing's Forbidden City, the end of the Silk Road. This came more than 60 years after Stanley Johnson had started his own Silk Route journey in 1961 with two colleagues from Oxford. The trio began to travel from Venice to Beijing on motorbikes but had run out of their time when the reached the Chinese border.
Stanley Johnson said: "Being able to pick up where I left off 60 years ago and complete this journey, this time with my son by my side, is something I will never forget; but while this journey meant a lot to me personally, there is a bigger picture.
"The project presented an opportunity to show the importance of travel and multiculturalism - something that goes beyond borders and unites us all."
The premiere is the result of a project four years in the making, co-produced internationally with Chinese broadcaster CCTV.
Dale Templar, managing director of One Tribe TV, said: "At a time when the world is facing so many challenges, I believe this film celebrates fabulous cultural diversity, showing how we all have the same hopes, fears and dreams, sharing a basic humanity."
The film celebrates the contributions of various production partners, including Global Education’s English Path Language Program and Blue Ant Media.
Owen Gay, joint managing director of One Tribe and a Bath graduate, said: "This is visually arresting historical travelogue.
"I am incredibly proud of this film, its high-end production values and the large production team who came together to make it."
The Chinese ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang, added: "Stanley Johnson's travel, like the story of Marco Polo, will help people in the UK to learn about the real China."
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