Robert Fortune, The Tea Thief


A film by Diane Perelsztejn

The most profitable robbery ever! By the middle of the 19th century, the West had become totally enchanted with a heady new brew, tea. But, China held the monopoly on its trade and manufacture, which it had fiercely guarded for more than 5,000 years. The British sought to change that, by mounting one of the most audacious espionage missions the world had ever seen: to steal the secret of tea from Imperial China. The man they entrusted with this mission was Robert Fortune, a 36-year-old Scottish botanist.

Director:

 Diane Perelsztejn
Writers: Diane Perelsztejn
Willy Perelsztejn
Joëlle Kilimnik
Original music: Peter Crosbie
Producers:

Willy Perelsztejn
Diane Perelsztejn
Gilles Le Mao
52 minutes - Beta digital - Stereo - Colour
  

A coproduction of Australian Film Finance Corporation - Arte France - RTBF - AVRO - Les Films de la Mémoire - Diane Perelsztejn & Company - La Huit Production
  • Produced with the support of the Cinema and Audiovisual Centre of the French-speaking Community of Belgium and the Walloon TV-Broadcasters
  • Developed with the support of the program of the European Union
  • Produced and developed with the assistance of Film Victoria
  • Produced with the assistance of the Australian Film Commission
  • Produced in association with SBS Independent
  • Financed with the assistance of the Australian Film Finance Corporation

Bronze WorldMedal : The New York Festivals – History & Society section - january 2003
Grand Prize for the Scenario : XXVIth International Festival of the Art and Pedagogic Film, UNESCO House, Paris - december 2002

This film is available in the shop.



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