"Sahara"
by
Basil Pao
on
Wednesday, 16 February 2005
2/F Sports House, So Kong Po, Causeway Bay
Drinks 6.30 pm; Lecture 7.30 pm We are delighted to welcome to Hong Kong distinguished photographer Basil Pao, the photographer of all Michael Palin's recent books. While tracing his epic journey with Michael Palin across the world's largest desert, Basil Pao is to show many of his stunning photographs. Covering nine countries, Pao's photographs expertly capture the magical appeal of the region, and the extraordinarily diverse range of landscapes, cultures and peoples it is home to. Intimate shots of Michael Palin and his film crew at work also give a fascinating insight into the making of the eponymous TV series. Starting his journey in the colony of Gibraltar, Basil Pao crossed the Straits to Morocco to the ancient cities of Fez and Marrakesh, before traversing the Atlas Mountains. He then crossed Mauritania through the disputed territory of Western Sahara, visiting the refugee camps of the Saharawis. In Mauritania, he travelled on the world's longest train, visited cities lost in the sands and witnessed the ParisDakar Rally. He then travelled to Mali and its amazing Dogon culture, and the River Niger, on which he rode to the legendary city of Timbuktu. Basil Pao walked with nomadic herders and rode with a Touareg camel caravan to Algeria, before crossing the dunes and stunning classical sites of Tunisia. Basil Pao began his photographic career in 1980, on his return to Hong Kong after ten years in the United States, where he was art director for recording companies such as Atlantic and Polygram in New York, and Warner Brothers in Los Angeles. His design work during this period included the book for the Monty Python film Life of Brian, where he first worked with Michael Palin. They have since collaborated on five books based on the journeys of Pole to Pole, Full Circle and Hemingway Adventure. Their most recent work has been Sahara and Himalaya. His travel essays and other works, including photographs for Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor and Little Buddha, have appeared in numerous books and magazines internationally and his photographic exhibitions Glimpses of Silence and The Last Emperor Collection, have travelled widely in Asia and Europe. Members and their guests are most welcome to attend this lecture, which is HK$50 for Members, HK$100 for Members' guests and HK$150 for others.