A world full of great stories, our passion is sharing them!
Maya Vision International
Our film-making covers a diverse range. Our documentaries bring history alive or celebrate great art and artists, whether unearthing a people’s history of Britain, telling the story of China or following modern pilgrims on their sacred journeys
Across all media platforms, from broadcast television to theatrical to charity and online Maya Vision International’s programs are trusted and celebrated internationally, winning some of television’s top awards, many of which are with the acclaimed historian and broadcaster, Michael Wood.
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The Last Burma Star
Marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, explorer Levison Wood and historian Alex Bescoby set out on a journey to retrace the footsteps of Levison’s grandfather who fought in the Burma Campaign, a brutal, frequently forgotten chapter of the Second World War. Uncovering the huge but often overlooked contribution of Commonwealth soldiers, their journey takes an extraordinary turn when they discover a 100-year-old veteran, still living in Burma, now Myanmar, who never received his Burma Star medal. Against the odds, they set out to deliver it – along with a remarkable message from King Charles III – before it’s too late. -
The Story of China
Home to over a billion people, China is the new superpower, a country we all want to understand now, and to do so we have to look at its history. Travelling across the country Wood explores the landscapes, peoples, stories and cultures that have helped forge China’s distinctive character and genius over more than four thousand years. A grand sweep narrative, full of big ideas and unexpected surprises, the series shows how the Chinese created their own unique vision of the world: a vision that is still alive in the 21st century and, Wood argues, is the real motor behind the incredible and growing success of China today. -
Sappho: Love & Life on Lesbos
Sappho is the most controversial writer of the ancient world and the first authentic woman’s voice in western history. Was she the first lesbian, a priestess, prostitute, a stern schoolmistress or an aristocratic lady of leisure as readers over the centuries have variously alleged? The mysterious discovery of a lost papyrus containing the words to songs unheard for seventeen hundred years sends papyrology expert, Margaret Mountford, on a journey to explore the truth about Sappho. -
Ovid: The Poet & The Emperor
Ovid, one of the world’s greatest poets, died 2,000 years ago. His Metamorphoses is the most influential secular book in European literature, and, unique among ancient poets, he also wrote an autobiography, full of riveting intimacy. But at the height of his fame he was banished, “all because of a poem and a mistake, and on the latter my lips are sealed forever.” Michael Wood traces Ovid’s footsteps from the town of Sulmona, to the bright lights of Rome and into exile in Constanta in today’s Romania, while Ovid’s words are brought to life by Simon Russell Beale.