EXCLUSIVE: As Jimmy McNulty and Lester Freamon they policed the tough streets of Baltimore, now Dominic West and Clarke Peters are saddling up and headed Beyond The Silk Road.
The Wire alums travel though Kyrgyzstan on horseback in the new doc from Blink Films, which will also play as a two-part series. The stars will be in town for a splashy premiere during the London TV Screenings where it will be one of the big launches with Blue Ant handling sales.
West and Peters met on the set of HBO’s seminal drama The Wire. What fans may not know is that they bonded over a shared love of horsemanship and the great outdoors and unwound from days filming by riding out into the Maryland wilderness.
Since The Wire, West’s credits include The Crown and The Affair, while Peters has appeared in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and other films and series. Both took time out to film Beyond The Silk Road.
The Silk Road was an extensive network of trade routes and within that Kyrgyzstan was an important crossroads. The country has areas untouched by modernity and is home to communities that still live by the horse. In the doc, West and Clarke are accompanied by Alexandra Tolstoy, an expert and guide. The 90-minute doc will see them travel on horseback as they navigate Kyrgyzstan’s Silk Road, living in yurts, and taking part in age-old rituals and sports.
“It was a real privilege to get a taste of what life was like for the traders of the ancient Silk Road and to head out into the wilderness with my old friend Clarke,” said West. “There were some pretty hair-raising moments scaling the precipitous mountain passes on horseback, particularly with my questionable equine skills. But we had the adventure of a lifetime thanks to our extraordinary guide Alexandra.”
“When I got that call from my dear friend Dominic to join him on this horseback adventure, I knew we’d have fun, but I couldn’t have imagined just how special the experience would be,” added Peters. “To connect with an ancient way of life and extraordinary Kyrgyz people, in such a breathtaking landscape, it reminds you what life is really all about.”
Blink Films, part of Tin Roof Media, is making the doc with Sean McDonnell directing and Claire Bugden producing. Blink has made shows for broadcasters and streamers around the world and this one looks like being a hot property at the London Screenings. Blue Ant Rights is handling all sales as the global distribution partner.
Laura Jones, Justine Kershaw and Tolstoy are executive producers on Beyond the Silk Road.