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Epic 500-Year Drama Filmed in Spain & Italy
17 Aug
Summary
- Film follows a sacred artifact's survival across 500 years.
- Filming recently wrapped in Spain and Italy.
- A new joint venture aims to produce international productions.
Worldwide rights for the historical drama "People of the Book" are being offered at the TIFF market. Directed by Michael Haussman, the film is based on Geraldine Brooks' Pulitzer prize-winning novel. Filming recently wrapped in Spain, including Alicante's Ciudad de la Luz, and in Italy's Venice and Trieste.
The narrative spans 500 years, tracing the creation and survival of a sacred artifact. It interweaves storylines from pre- and post-Inquisition Spain, 17th-century Venice, Nazi-occupied Bosnia, and a contemporary account of an Iraqi refugee family's escape from Mosul to Europe.
Adapted by Petter Skavlan, the film is a product of Good Films Studios Spain, a joint venture supported by the Spanish government, Orogen Media, and Miriam Segal's Good Films. This initiative received €20 million from the Spanish government to develop, finance, and produce international films.
The production plans to shoot 20 films at Ciudad de la Luz over the next decade, starting with "People of the Book." The cast includes Ziad Bakri and Rania Ben Fattoum, with notable crew such as Oscar-winning make-up artist Julie Dartnell. The film is expected to be completed by the end of the year and aims for a major festival debut in 2027.
