Genghis Khan (TV programme)

Genghis Khan
GenreDocumentary
Written byIsabelle Grey
Directed byEdward Bazalgette
StarringOrgil Makhaan
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes1
Production
ProducersJonathan Stamp and Edward Bazalgette
Running time50 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC
Release25 April 2005 (2005-04-25)

Genghis Khan is a 2005 BBC documentary co-produced with Discovery Channel UK detailing the life of the 13th-century Mongol warlord Genghis Khan. It starred Orgil Makhaan as Genghis Khan, voiced by Kenneth Cranham. It was directed by Edward Bazalgette. It was narrated by Alisdair Simpson. It was shot entirely on location in Mongolia with a Mongolian cast. Battle scenes were recreated using the same CGI techniques as The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The documentary sets out to redress what it sees as the unwarranted negative reputation of the Mongol leader. The film portrays him as a benevolant leader who put a stop to internecine tribal warfare. Although the film does portray the brutality of the Mongol conquests, Joe Joseph in The Times writes that it sometimes oversold itself.

In 2015, China deported twenty foreigners (British, South African, and Indian) for watching the film in their hotel in Inner Mongolia. The Chinese authorities claimed the film promoted terrorism and religious extremism. China is hostile to separatist groups or those campaigning for more rights for ethnic Mongols.