
Michael Palin: Into Iraq
Duration: 3 x 52'
Play Trailer Play Screener Contact Sales Collection: Michael PalinMichael Palin embarks on an epic and revelatory journey through Iraq. An extraordinary view of a place scarred by conflict - this is the real Iraq.
These fantastic films follow Michael as he embarks on a 1000-mile odyssey, following the course of the great Tigris river from its source in eastern Turkey to the Persian Gulf. Most of his journey will be through Iraq and Michael will visit Mosul and Erbil, before following the river to Tikrit. He then moves on to Baghdad, exploring bustling city life and the Green Zone. As he heads further south Michael sees the legendary sites of Babylon and Ur before completing his journey on the coast of Iraq.
During his travels Michael is driven by the urge to meet the people of this vast but young and troubled country, as well as discovering a huge variety of breath-taking landscapes, and extraordinary historic sights and cultures. He experiences what life is like for the 40 million people who live in Iraq today and explores its ancient history as Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilisation.
His journey, which starts at Lake Hazar in eastern Turkey, includes visits to Kurdistan where he spends a day in the mountain village of Akre for the Kurdish New Roz celebrations, a chaotic festival of torchlit processions, fireworks and gunfire; a visit to Tikrit, where he uncovers the truth about the terrible Speicher massacre, before moving on to Babylon to explore Saddam Hussein’s palace that towers over the ancient city. He then heads on to the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, into the Green Zone created after the war and discovers the joys of life in the bustling old city before visiting the famous Ziggurat of Ur.
Security concerns were paramount during the trip, (there’s not a press flack jacket in sight) with Michael and his team needing to negotiate bureaucratic borders, endless military checkpoints and access intelligence on the ground to navigate volatile areas and the reported presence of ISIS.
Michael Palin said: “I’ve never visited Iraq and it’s not the easiest country to work in, which is why we chose it as the focus for this series. Scarred by conflict, Iraq is also the birthplace of civilisation. Our story is one of survival, of a nation pulled back from the brink. The films show how a country so long associated with war and violence is dealing with a fragile peace.
“The journey was an eye-opener, a succession of new experiences, new places and new people to meet, a fascinating adventure in a land where past, present and future are unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be back on the road.”
What the Press Say:
AIB Award Winner
The Times - 'No one does travel better than him'
The Telegraph - 'At nearly 80 he is still the master of travelogue'
For Channel 5



Other programmes in this series

Michael Palin In North Korea
Also in this genre

The Hidden World of Hospitality with Tom Kerridge

Our Soldiers: Return To Civvy Street

Incredible Christmas Trees and How to Decorate Them

Lawn and Order: Keep off the Grass

Fake Homeless: Who's Begging On The Streets?

Prince Andrew and Scandal in the Royal House of York

Meghan & Harry: The New Revelations

A Place In The Sun: Winter Sun

How To Be A Young Billionaire

*Latest Series - Celebrity Farm

Stacey and the Lockdown Babies

Michael Palin In North Korea

Paul O'Grady's Little Heroes

The Trouble with Crossrail

Puppy Boom: Counting the Cost

Prison, My Parents And Me

Celebrity Road Trip: Lost In Transylvania

A Place In The Sun: Home Or Away

Xmas Excess: Parents Splash The Cash

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Mums Selling Their Kids For Sex

The Secret Lives Of Slim People

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Kids Selling Drugs Online

*LATEST SERIES - Katie Price's Mucky Mansion

Paul O'Grady's Great British Escape

Funniest Ever Pets At Christmas

Britain’s Refugee Children

National Trust: My Historic Home

The Dogumentary

Celebrity Ghost Hunt: Haunted Holiday

Stacey Dooley: On The Psych Ward

School of Hard Tricks

Hannah Spearritt: Me & Breast Implants

School of Hard Tricks - Format

Bring Back the Bush: Where Did Our Pubic Hair Go?

Growing up Poor: Britain's Hidden Homeless Kids

A Place in the Sun: A Place by The Sea

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Spy Cam Sex Criminals

Scarlett's Driving School - Format

Farther And Sun, A Dyslexic Road Trip

Stacey Dooley: Face to Face with The Bounty Hunters

Britain's Child Drug Runners

The Knowledge: The World’s Toughest Taxi Test

Cats Do the Naughtiest Things

Royals in Wartime - Monarchy & the Military

Living With My Supersized Pets

Stacey Dooley: The Young And Homeless

The Titan Sub Disaster: Minute by Minute

Life On The Psych Ward

Prisoners' Wives: Visiting Hours

Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum

Stacey's Lockdown Heroes

Born On The Breadline

*New* Bound Together - Format

Britain's America's Cup Challenge 4K

Clean Eating's Dirty Secrets

Retreat: Meditations From A Monastery

25 Siblings & Me

Stutter School - Format

Living with the Boss - Format

Psycho Pussies: Mad Cat Attacks

Valentine Warner Eats Scandinavia

Naughty Toddlers Caught on Camera

Royals in Wartime - Monarchy & World War II

Ross Kemp: On the NHS Frontline

The World’s Worst Place To Be Disabled?

Inside the Bruderhof

Coronavirus: A Day in the Life

Celebs On The Ranch

Growing Up Poor: Britain's Breadline Kids

Diana: The Last Princess Of Wales

Kashmir's Torture Trail

Heal Me In The Name Of Jesus

Poundland: How Do They Really Do It?

Face The Consequences - Format

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Gypsy Kids In Crisis

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Sex In Strange Places

A Place In The Sun: Summer Sun

Dr Xand's Con or Cure - Format
of
Format Info
Michael Palin: Into Iraq
Michael Palin embarks on an epic and revelatory journey through Iraq. An extraordinary view of a place scarred by conflict - this is the real Iraq.
Series Duration: 3 x 52'
Resolution: HD
Genres: Human Interest & Lifestyle