Educational Media Reviews Online

In her film, Robert Fortune: the Tea Thief, Diane Perelsztejn does an excellent job of depicting the interplay of tea, opium, silver, and imperialism in 19th century Asia. Two hundred years after Portuguese traders had their first tastes of tea there were numerous fans of the beverage in Europe. The problem for the East India Trading Company was finding something other than silver to trade with the Chinese for the product. They decided to promote the use of opium in China as a way to balance payments for tea. Their decision led to massive drug addiction in China and to the Opium Wars. Even though the British defeated the overmatched Chinese in these wars, the British were still faced with a Chinese monopoly on the product. In order to transfer the production of tea to their possessions in India they sent the Scottish botanist, Robert Fortune, to steal the secrets of tea production from the Chinese.

Perelsztejn utilizes archival photos, traditional tales, modern footage of the tea growing regions in China, commentary from contemporary experts, and Fortune’s own travelogue to trace the steps of Fortune’s extraordinary mission of espionage. At risk of execution if discovered, Fortune donned the guise of the locals and toured the tea growing regions of China. He managed to gather thousands of plants, extensive knowledge of tea production, and skilled labor for the new tea plantations in the Himalayas.

This film should be of interest to students of East Asian History, the British Empire in Asia, imperialism in Asia, and the impact of tea upon those countries involved with its production and trade. It will also be of value to viewers with a general interest in tea. As it deals with the role of multinational companies in international trade, the position of food products in our lives, and other issues of current interest, it should serve well as a discussion tool. It is highly recommended for viewers from high school to adult and to the libraries that serve them.